THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


v  ' 


His  audience  was  fairly  hanging  on  his  words 

(Page  190) 


THE 
ROSE    IN   THE    RING 


BY 
GEORGE   BARR   McCUTCHEON 

Author  of  "Beverly  of  Graustark," 
"Truxton  King,"  etc. 

WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

A.  I.  KELLER 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND   COMPANY 
1910 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

Published,  September,  1910 


THE   UNIVERSITY    PRESS,    CAMBRIDGE,    U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 

BOOK   ONE 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I     THE  FUGITIVE 1 

II     IN  THE  DRESSING  TENT 18 

III  DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST   RlNG  .       ...  40 

IV  A  STRANGER  APPEARS  ON  THE  SCENE  ...  55 
V     SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  BRADDOCKS  ....  77 

VI     DAVID  JENISON'S  STORY 96 

VII     THE  BROTHERS  CRONK 117 

VIII     AN  INVITATION  TO  SUPPER 133 

IX     A  THIEF  IN  THE  NIGHT 152 

X     LOVE  WINGS  A  TIMID  DART 168 

XI     ARTFUL  DICK  GOES  VISITING 185 

XII     IN  WHICH  MANY  THINGS  HAPPEN    ....  199 

XIII     THE  SALE 221 

BOOK  TWO 

I     THE  DAUGHTER  OF  COLONEL  GRAND  .     .     .  238 

II     THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL 256 

III     THE  MAN  WHO  SERVED  HIS  TIME  .  275 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IV  THE  DELIVERY  OF  A  TELEGRAM     ....  295 

V  THE  LOVE  THAT  WAS  STAUNCH 310 

VI  DOOR-STEPS 329 

VII  TOM  BRADDOCK'S  PROMISE 345 

VIII  COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS       .     .     .  367 

IX  IN  THE  LITTLE  TRIANGULAR  "  SQUARE  "  .     .  388 

X  THE  BLACK  HEADLINES 409 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


His  audience  was  fairly  hanging  on  his  words     .     .  Frontispiece 

(Page  190) 

"  It  is  my  money  !"  cried  David Facing  page  44 

Her  lips  parted  in  amazement,  tremulously 
struggling  into  a  smile  of  wonder  and 
unbelief «  "318 

"This  is  the  one,  great,  solitary  hour  in  your 

life"  .  "         "     362 


BOOK    ONE 

CHAPTER    I 

THE     FUGITIVE 

THE  gaunt  man  led  the  way.  At  his  heels,  doggedly, 
came  the  two  short  ones,  fagged,  yet  uncomplaining; 
all  of  them  drenched  to  the  skin  by  the  chill  rain  that 
swirled  through  the  Gap,  down  into  the  night-ridden 
valley  below.  Sky  was  never  so  black.  Days  of  inces 
sant  storm  had  left  it  impenetrably  overcast. 

These  men  trudged  —  or  stumbled  —  along  the  slip 
pery  road  which  skirted  the  mountain's  base.  Soggy, 
unseen  farm  lands  and  gardens  to  their  left,  Stygian 
forests  above  and  to  their  right.  Ahead,  the  far-distant 
will-o-the-wisp  flicker  of  many  lights,  blinking  in  the 
foggy  shroud.  Three  or  four  miles  lay  between  the 
sullen  travelers  and  the  town  that  cradled  itself  in  the 
lower  end  of  the  valley. 

Night  had  stolen  early  upon  the  dour  spring  day. 
The  tall  man  who  led  carried  a  rickety,  ill-smelling 
lantern  that  sent  its  feeble  rays  no  farther  ahead  than 
a  dozen  paces ;  it  served  best  to  reveal  the  face  of  the 
huge  silver  watch  which  frequently  was  drawn  from  its 
owner's  coat  pocket. 

Eight  o'clock,  —  no  more,  —  and  yet  it  seemed  to 
these  men  that  they  had  plowed  forever  through  the 
blackness  of  this  evil  night,  through  a  hundred  villain 
ous  shadows  by  unpointed  paths.  Mile  after  mile,  they 
had  traversed  almost  impassable  roads,  unwavering  per 
sistence  in  command  of  their  strength,  heavy  stoicism 
their  burden.  Few  were  the  words  that  had  passed  be- 

1  ftr 


2  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

tween  them  during  all  those  weary  miles.  An  occa 
sional  oath,  muffled  but  impressive,  fell  from  the  lips 
of  one  or  the  other  of  those  who  followed  close  behind 
the  silent,  imperturbable  leader.  The  tall  man  was  as 
silent  as  the  unspeakable  night  itself. 

It  was  impossible  to  distinguish  the  faces  of  these 
dogged  night-farers.  The  collars  of  their  coats  were 
turned  up,  their  throats  were  muffled,  and  the  broad 
rims  of  their  rain-soaked  hats  were  far  down  over  the 
eyes.  There  was  that  about  them  which  suggested  the 
unresented  pressure  of  firearms  inside  the  dry  breast 
pockets  of  long  coats. 

This  was  an  evening  in  the  spring  of  1875,  and  these 
men  were  forging  their  way  along  a  treacherous  moun 
tain  road  in  Southwestern  Virginia.  A  word  in  passing 
may  explain  the  exigency  which  forced  the  travelers  to 
the  present  undertaking.  The  washing  away  of  a 
bridge  ten  miles  farther  down  the  valley  had  put  an  end 
to  all  thought  of  progress  by  rail,  for  the  night,  at  least. 
Rigid  necessity  compelled  them  to  proceed  in  the  face 
of  the  direst  hardships.  Their  mission  was  one  which 
could  not  be  stayed  so  long  as  they  possessed  legs  and 
stout  hearts.  Checked  by  the  misfortune  at  the  bridge, 
there  was  nothing  left  for  them  but  to  make  the  best  of 
the  situation:  they  set  forth  on  foot  across  the  moun 
tain,  following  the  short  but  more  arduous  route  from 
the  lower  to  the  upper  valley.  Since  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  they  had  been  struggling  along  their  way, 
at  times  by  narrow  wagon  roads,  not  infrequently  by 
trails  and  foot  paths  that  made  for  economy  in  distance. 

The  tall  man  strode  onward  with  never  decreasing 
strength  and  confidence;  his  companions,  on  the  con 
trary,  were  faint  and  sore  and  scowling.  They  were  not 
to  the  mountains  born ;  they  came  from  the  gentle  low 
lands  by  the  sea,  —  from  broad  plantations  and  pleas- 


THE    FUGITIVE  3 

ant  byways,  from  the  tidewater  country.  He  was  the 
leader  on  this  ugly  night,  and  yet  they  were  the  mas 
ters  ;  they  followed,  but  he  led  at  their  bidding.  They 
had  known  him  for  less  than  six  hours,  and  yet  they 
put  their  lives  in  his  hands ;  another  sunrise  would 
doubtless  see  him  pass  out  of  their  thoughts  forever. 
He  served  the  purpose  of  a  single  night.  They  did  not 
know  his  name  —  nor  he  theirs,  for  that  matter ;  they 
took  him  on  faith  and  for  what  he  was  worth  —  five 
dollars. 

"  Are  those  the  lights  of  the  town  ?  "  panted  one  of 
the  masters,  a  throb  of  hope  in  his  breast.  The  tall 
man  paused ;  the  others  came  up  beside  him.  He 
stretched  a  long  arm  in  the  direction  of  the  twinkling 
lights,  far  ahead. 

"  Yas,  Jr,"  was  all  that  he  said. 

"How  far?"  demanded  the  other  laboriously. 

"  'Bout  fo'h  mile." 

"  Road  get  any  better?  " 

"  Yas,  Jr." 

"  Can  we  make  it  by  nine,  think?  " 

"  Yas,  >r." 

"  We  'd  better  be  moving  along.  It 's  half -past  seven 
now." 

"  Yas,  'r." 

Once  more  they  set  forward,  descending  the  slope 
into  the  less  hazardous  road  that  wound  its  way  into 

the  town  of  S ,  then,  as  now,  a  thriving  place  in  the 

uplands.  The  ending  of  a  deadly  war  not  more  than 
ten  years  prior  to  the  opening  of  this  tale  had  left  this 
part  of  fair  Virginia  gasping  for  breath,  yet  too  proud 
to  cry  for  help.  Virginia,  the  richest  and  fairest  and 
proudest  of  all  the  seceding  states,  was  but  now  finding 
her  first  moments  of  real  hope  and  relief.  Her  fortunes 
had  gone  for  the  cause;  her  hopes  had  sunk  with  it. 


4  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Both  were  now  rising  together  from  the  slough  into 
which  they  had  been  driven  by  the  ruthless  Juggernaut 
of  Conquest.  The  panic  of  '73  meant  little  to  the  people 
of  this  fair  commonwealth;  they  had  so  little  then  to 

lose,  and  they  had  lost  so  much.  The  town  of  S , 

toward  which  these  weary  travelers  turned  their  steps, 
was  stretching  out  its  hands  to  clasp  Opportunity  and 
Prosperity  as  those  fickle  commodities  rebounded  from 
the  vain-glorious  North ;  the  smile  was  creeping  back 
into  the  haggard  face  of  the  Southland ;  the  dollars 
were  jingling  now  because  they  were  no  longer  lonely. 
The  bitterness  of  life  was  not  so  bitter;  an  ancient 
sweetness  was  providing  the  leaven.  The  Northern 
brother  was  relaxing;  he  was  even  washing  the  blood 
from  his  hands  and  extending  them  to  raise  the  sister 
he  had  ravished.  There  was  forgiveness  in  the  heart 
of  fair  Virginia  —  but  not  yet  the  desire  to  forget. 
The  South  was  coming  into  its  own  once  more  —  not 
the  old  South,  but  a  new  one  that  realized. 

Intermittent  strains  of  music  came  dancing  up  into 

the  hills  from  the  heart  of  S .  The  wayfarers  looked 

at  each  other  in  the  darkness  and  listened  in  wonder  to 
these  sounds  that  rose  above  the  swish  of  the  restless 
rain. 

"  It 's  a  band,"  murmured  one  of  the  two  behind. 

"  Yas,  'r ;  a  circus  band,"  vouchsafed  the  guide,  a 
sudden  eagerness  in  his  voice.  "  Van  Slye's  Great  and 
Only  Mammoth  Shows  —  " 

"  A  circus  ?  "  interrupted  one  of  the  men  gruffly. 
"  Then  the  whole  town  is  full  of  strangers.  That 's  bad 
for  us,  Blake." 

"  I  don't  see  why.  He  's  more  than  likely  to  be  where 
the  excitement's  highest,  ain't  he?  He's  not  too  old 
for  that.  We  '11  find  him  in  that  circus  tent,  Tom,  if 
he  's  in  the  town  at  all." 


THE    FUGITIVE  5 

"  First  circus  they  've  had  in  S in  a  dawg's  age," 

ventured  the  guide,  with  the  irrelevancy  of  an  excited 
boy.  "Rice's  was  there  once,  I  can't  remember  jest  when, 
an'  they  was  some  talk  of  Barnum  las'  yeah,  they  say, 
but  he  done  pass  us  by.  He  's  got  a  Holy  Beheemoth 
that  sweats  blood  this  yeah,  they  say.  Doggone,  I  'd 
like  to  see  one."  The  guide  had  not  ventured  so  much 
as  this,  all  told,  in  the  six  hours  of  their  acquaintanceship. 

"  Well,  let 's  be  moving  on.  I  'm  wet  clear  through," 
shivered  Blake. 

Silence  fell  upon  them  once  more.  No  word  was 
spoken  after  that,  except  in  relation  to  an  oath  of  exas 
peration  ;  they  swung  forward  into  the  lower  road,  their 
sullen  eyes  set  on  the  lights  ahead.  Heavy  feet,  drag 
ging  like  hundredweights,  carried  them  over  the  last 
weary  mile.  Into  the  outskirts  of  the  little  town  they 
slunk.  The  streets  were  deserted,  muddy,  and  lighted 
but  meagerly  from  widely  separated  oil  lamps  set  at 
the  tops  of  as  many  unstable  posts. 

Some  distance  ahead  there  was  a  vast  glow  of  light, 
lifting  itself  above  the  housetops  and  pressing  against 
the  black  dome  that  hung  low  over  the  earth.  The  rol 
licking  quickstep  of  a  circus  band  came  dancing  over 
the  night  to  meet  the  footsore  men.  There  were  no 
pedestrians  to  keep  them  company.  The  inhabitants  of 

S were  inside  the  tents  beyond,  or  loitering  near 

the  sidewalls  with  singular  disregard  for  the  drizzling 
rain  that  sifted  down  upon  their  unmindful  backs  or 
blew  softly  into  the  faces  of  the  few  who  enjoyed  the 
luxury  of  "  umberells."  Despite  the  apparent  solitude 
that  kept  pace  with  them  down  the  narrow  street,  — 
little  more  than  a  country  lane,  on  the  verge  of  gradu 
ating  into  a  thoroughfare,  —  the  three  travelers  were 
keenly  alert ;  their  squinting,  eager  eyes  searched  the 
shadows  beside  and  before  them ;  their  feet  no  longer 


6  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

dragged  through  the  slippery,  glistening  bed  of  the 
road ;  every  movement,  every  glance  signified  extreme 
caution. 

Slowly  they  approached  the  vacant  lots  beyond  the 
business  section  of  the  town,  known  year  in  and  year 

out  to   the  youth  of  S as   "  the   show   grounds." 

£;  ow  they  began  to  encounter  straggling,  envious  atoms 
of  the  populace,  wanderers  who  could  not  produce  the 
admission  fee  and  who  were  not  permitted  by  the  rough 
canvasmen  to  venture  inside  the  charmed  circle  laid 
down  by  the  "  guy-ropes."  At  the  corner  of  the  tented 
common  stood  the  "  ticket  wagon,"  the  muddy  plaza  in 
front  of  it  torn  by  the  footprints  of  many  human  beings 
and  lighted  by  a  great  gasoline  lamp  swung  from  a  pole 
hard  by.  Beyond  was  the  main  entrance  of  the  animal 
tent,  presided  over  by  uniformed  ticket  takers.  Here 
and  there,  in  the  gloomy  background,  stood  the  canvas 
and  pole  wagons,  shining  in  their  wetness  against  the 
feeble  light  that  oozed  through  the  opening  between  the 
sidewall  and  the  edge  of  the  flapping  main  top,  or 
glistening  with  sudden  brightness  in  response  to  the 
passing  lantern  or  torch  in  the  hand  of  a  rubber-coated 
minion  who  "  belonged  to  the  circus,"  —  a  vast  honor, 
no  matter  how  lowly  his  position  may  have  been.  Cos 
tume  and  baggage  wagons,  their  white  and  gold  glory 
swallowed  up  in  the  maw  of  the  night,  stood  backed  up 
against  the  dressing-tent  off  to  the  right.  The  horse 
tent  beyond  was  even  now  being  lowered  by  shadowy, 
mystic  figures  who  swore  and  shouted  to  each  other 
across  spaces  wide  and  spaces  small  without  regulating 
the  voice  to  either  effort.  Horses,  with  their  clanking 
trace-chains,  in  twos  and  fours,  slipped  in  and  out  of 
the  shadows,  drawing  great  vehicles  which  rumbled  and 
jarred  with  the  noise  peculiar  to  circus  wagons:  tired, 
underfed  horses  that  paid  little  heed  to  the  curses  or  the 


THE    FUGITIVE  7 

blows  of  the  men  who  handled  them,  so  accustomed  were 
they  to  the  proddings  of  life. 

And  inside  the  big  tent  the  band  played  merrily,  as 
only  a  circus  band  can  play,  jangling  an  accompani 
ment  to  the  laughter  and  the  shouts  of  the  delighted 
multitude  sitting  in  the  blue-boarded  tiers  about  the 
single  ring  with  its  earthen  circumference,  its  sawdust 
carpet  and  its  dripping  lights. 

The  smell  of  the  thing!  Who  has  ever  forgotten  it? 
The  smell  of  the  sawdust,  the  smell  of  the  gleaming 
lights,  the  smell  of  animals  and  the  smell  of  the  canvas 
top!  The  smell  of  the  damp  handbills,  the  programs 
and  the  bags  of  roasted  peanuts !  Incense !  Never- 
to-be-forgotten  incense  of  our  beautiful  days ! 

Warm  and  dry  and  bright  under  the  spreading  top 
with  its  two  "  center  poles  "  and  its  row  of  "  quarters  " ; 
cold,  dreary  and  sordid  outside  in  the  real  world  where 
man  and  beast  worked  while  others  seemed  to  play. 

Groups  of  canvasmen  now  began  to  tear  down  the 
animal  tent  —  the  "  menagerie,"  as  it  has  always  been 
known  to  the  man  who  pays  admission.  An  hour  later, 
when  the  big  show  is  over,  the  spectators  will  stream 
forth,  even  as  their  own  blue  seats  begin  to  clatter  to 
earth  behind  them,  and  they  will  blink  with  amazement 
to  find  themselves  in  the  open  air,  instead  of  in  the 
menagerie  tent.  As  if  by  magic  it  has  disappeared,  and 
with  it  the  sideshow  and  its  banners,  the  Punch  and 
Judy  show,  the  horse  tent,  the  cook  tent,  the  blacksmith 
shop.  Where  once  stood  a  dripping  white  city,  now 
stretches  a  barren,  ugly  waste  of  unhallowed,  unfamiliar 
ground,  flanked  by  the  solitary  temple  of  tinsel  and 
sawdust  which  they  have  just  left  behind,  and  which  even 
now  is  being  desolated  by  scowling  men  in  overalls.  The 
crowd  oozes  forth,  to  find  itself  completely  lost  in  the 
night,  all  points  of  the  compass  at  odds,  no  man  know- 


8  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

ing  cast  from  west  or  north  from  south  in  the  strange 
surroundings.  The  "  lot  "  they  have  known  so  well  and 
crossed  so  often  has  been  transformed  into  a  trackless 
wilderness,  through  which  strange  objects  rumble  and 
creak,  over  which  queer,  ghastly  lights  play  for  the 
benefit  of  grumbling  men  from  another  world. 

Blake  and  his  companion,  standing  apart  from  the 
lank,  wide-eyed  guide,  were  conversing  in  low  tones. 

"  We  'd  better  make  the  circuit  of  the  tents,"  said 
Blake,  evidently  the  leader.  "  You  go  to  the  right  and 
I  '11  take  the  other  way  round.  We  '11  meet  here.  Keep 
your  eye  peeled.  He  may  be  hiding  under  the  wagons 
where  it 's  dry.  Look  out  for  these  circus  toughs. 
They  're  a  nasty  crowd." 

Then  he  turned  to  the  guide. 

"  We  won't  need  you  any  longer,"  he  said.  "  This 
is  as  far  as  we  go.  Here  is  your  pay.  If  I  were  you, 
I  'd  buy  a  ticket  and  go  inside." 

"  Yas,  'r,"  said  the  smileless  guide,  accepting  the 
greenback  with  no  word  of  thanks.  A  brief  "  good 
night "  to  his  employers,  and  the  lean  mountaineer 
strolled  over  to  the  ticket  wagon.  He  purchased  a 
ticket  and  hurried  into  the  tent.  We  do  not  see  him 
again.  He  has  served  his  purpose. 

His  late  employers  made  off  on  their  circuit  of  the 
tents,  sharp-eyed  but  casual,  doing  nothing  that  might 
lead  the  circus  men  to  suspect  that  they  were  searching 
for  one  among  them.  In  the  good  old  days  of  the  road 
circus  there  were  thieves  as  well  as  giants ;  if  a  man 
was  not  a  thief  himself,  he  at  least  had  a  friend  who 
was.  There  was  honor  among  them. 

A  scant  hour  before  the  three  men  came  to  the  "  show 
grounds  "  their  quarry  arrived  there.  That  Blake  and 
his  companion  were  man-hunters  goes  without  saying, 
but  that  the  person  for  whom  they  searched  should  be 


THE    FUGITIVE  9 

a  hungry,  wan-faced,  terrified  boy  of  eighteen  seems 
hardly  in  keeping  with  the  relentless  nature  of  the  chase. 

The  ring  performance  in  the  main  tent  had  been  in 
progress  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  when  the  fugitive, 
exhausted,  drenched  and  shivering,  crept  into  the  pro 
tected  nook  which  marks  the  junction  of  the  circus  and 
dressing  tops.  Here  it  was  comparatively  dry;  the 
wind  did  not  send  its  thin  mist  into  this  canvas  cranny. 
Not  so  dark  as  he  may  have  desired,  if  one  were  to  judge 
by  the  expression  in  his  feverish  eyes  as  he  peered  back 
at  the  darkness  out  of  which  he  had  slunk,  but  so  cramped 
in  shadow  that  only  the  eye  of  a  ferret  could  have  dis 
tinguished  the  figure  huddled  there.  Chilled  to  the  bone, 
wet  through  and  through,  this  white-faced  lad,  with 
drooping  lip  and  quickened  breath,  crouched  there  and 
waited  for  the  heavy  footstep  and  the  brutal  command 
of  the  canvasman  who  was  to  drive  him  forth  into  the 
darkness  once  more. 

He  had  watched  his  chance  to  creep  into  this  coveted 
spot.  When  the  men  were  called  to  work  at  the  horse 
tent  he  found  his  chance.  It  looked  warm  in  this  cor 
ner;  a  pleasant  light  on  the  inside  of  the  two  tents 
glowed  against  the  damp  sidewalls:  here  and  there  it 
glimmered  invitingly  under  the  bottom  of  the  canvas. 
He  knew  that  his  tenancy  must  end  in  an  hour  or  two : 
the  big  top  would  be  leveled  to  the  ground,  rolled  up  and 
spirited  away  into  the  stretches  that  lay  between  this 
city  and  the  next  one,  twenty  miles  away.  But  an  hour 
or  two  in  this  friendly  corner,  close  to  the  glare  of  the 
circus  lights,  almost  in  touch  with  the  joyous,  be 
spangled  world  of  his  ambitions,  even  though  he  was 
a  hated  and  hunted  creature,  was  better  than  the  sop 
ping  roadside  or  the  fields. 

He  knew  that  he  was  being  hounded  and  that  those 
who  sought  him  were  close  behind.  Once  in  the  forest, 


10  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

far  back  in  the  hills,  he  had  heard  them,  he  had  seei 
them.  Off  in  other  parts  of  the  country  men  were  look 
ing  for  him.  In  the  cities  throughout  Virginia  and  th< 
adjoining  states  there  were  placards  describing  him  er< 
this,  and  rewards  were  mentioned. 

Resting  in  the  bushes  above  the  trail,  late  in  the  after 
noon,  he  had  seen  Blake  and  his  men.  They  had  stoppec 
to  rest,  and  he  could  hear  their  conversation  plainly 
With  all  the  wiliness  of  a  hunted  thing,  he  had  slippec 
off  into  the  forest,  terrified  to  find  that  his  pursuer; 
were  so  close  upon  him. 

He  had  learned  that  they  were  making  for  S anc 

it  was  easy  to  see  that  their  progress  was  slow  anc 
grueling.  His  feet  were  light,  his  legs  strong;  peri 
gave  wings  to  his  courage.  Something  told  him  thai 
he  must  beat  them  by  many  miles  into  the  town  o; 

S .  Once,  when  he  was  much  younger,  he  had  gon< 

to  S with  his  grandfather  to  see  the  soldiers  en 

camped  there.  He  remembered  the  railroad.  It  was 
imperative  that  he  should  reach  the  railway  as  far  ir 
advance  of  his  pursuers  as  legs  and  a  stout  heart  coulc 
carry  him. 

A  wide  detour  through  the  sombre  forest  brought  hirr 
to  the  road  once  more,  fully  a  mile  below  his  pursuers 
He  forgot  his  hunger  and  his  fatigue.  For  miles  h< 
ran  with  the  fleetness  of  a  scared  thing,  guided  by  th< 
crude  sign-boards  which  pointed  the  way  and  told  th< 

distance  to  S .  Night  fell,  but  he  ran  on,  stum 

bling  and  faint  with  dread,  tears  rolling  down  his  thir 
cheeks,  sobs  in  his  throat.  Darkness  hid  the  sign-boards 
from  view;  he  reeled  from  one  side  of  the  narrow 
Stygian  lane  to  the  other,  sustaining  many  falls  anc 
bruises,  but  always  coming  to  his  feet  with  the  unflag 
ging  determination  to  fight  his  way  onward. 

Half-dazed,  gasping  for  breath  and  ready  to  droj 


THE    FUGITIVE  11 

in  his  tracks,  he  came  at  last  to  the  open  valley.  Far 
ahead  and  below  were  the  lights  of  a  town  —  he  could 

only  hope  that  it  was  S .  Tortured  by  the  vast 

oppressiveness  of  the  solitude  which  lay  behind  him, 
peopled  by  a  thousand  ghosts  whose  persistent  foot 
steps  had  haunted  him  through  every  mile  of  his  flight, 
he  cried  aloud  as  he  stumbled  down  the  rain-washed 
hill,  —  cried  with  the  terror  of  one  who  sees  collapse 
after  human  valor  has  been  done  to  death. 

He  was  never  to  know  how  he  came,  in  the  course  of 
an  hour,  to  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  His  mind,  dis 
tracted  by  the  terror  of  pursuit,  refused  to  record  the 
physical  exertions  of  that  last  bitter  hour;  his  body 
labored  mechanically,  without  cognizance  of  the  strain 
put  upon  it.  He  had  traversed  fifteen  miles  of  the 
blackest  of  forests  and  by  way  of  the  most  tortuous 
of  roads.  A  subconscious  triumph  now  inspired  him, 
born  of  the  certainty  that  he  had  left  his  enemies  far 
behind.  It  was  this  oddly  jubilant  spur  that  drove  him 

safely,  almost  instinctively,  into  the  heart  of  S . 

The  music  of  a  band  both  attracted  and  bewildered  him. 
It  was  some  time  before  he  could  grasp  the  fact  that 
a  circus  was  holding  forth  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
town.  The  subtle  cunning  that  had  become  part  of 
his  nature  within  the  past  forty-eight  hours  forbade 
an  incautious  approach  to  the  circus  grounds.  There, 
of  all  places,  he  might  expect  to  encounter  peril.  To 
his  bewildered  mind  every  man  who  breathed  of  life 
was  a  sleuth  sent  forth  to  lay  hold  of  him. 

He  gave  the  circus  —  loved  thing  of  tenderer  days 
—  a  wide  berth,  finding  his  way  to  the  railway  station 
by  outlying  streets.  His  first  thought  was  to  board 
an  outbound  train,  to  secrete  himself  in  one  of  the 
freight  cars.  The  sudden,  overpowering  pangs  of 
hunger  drove  this  plan  from  his  mind,  combined  with 


12  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

the  discovery  that  no  train  would  pass  through  the 
town  before  midnight.  Disheartened,  sick  with  despair, 
he  slunk  off  through  the  railway  yards,  taking  a  round 
about  way  to  the  circus  grounds. 

There  was  money  in  his  purse,  —  plenty  of  it ;  but 
he  was  afraid  to  enter  an  eating-house,  or  to  even 
approach  the  "  snack-stand  "  on  the  edge  of  the  circus- 
lot.  For  a  long  time  he  stood  afar  off  in  the  darkness, 
his  legs  trembling,  his  mouth  twitching,  his  eyes  bent 
with  pathetic  intentness  upon  the  single  pie  and  hot 
sandwich  stand  that  remained  near  the  sideshow  tent, 
presided  over  by  a  kind-faced,  sleepy  old  man  in 
spectacles. 

A  huge  placard  tacked  to  the  board  fence  back 
of  this  stand  attracted  his  attention.  Impelled  by  a 
strange  curiosity,  he  ventured  into  the  circle  of  light, 
knowing  full  well,  before  he  was  near  enough  to  dis 
tinguish  more  than  the  bold  word  "  Reward,"  that  this 
sinister  bill  had  to  do  with  him  and  no  other. 

Held  by  the  same  mysterious  power  that  a  serpent 
exercises  in  charming  its  victim,  the  lad  stared  at  the 
face  of  this  ominous  thing  that  proclaimed  him  a  fugi 
tive  for  whom  five  hundred  dollars  would  be  paid,  dead 
or  alive. 

Stricken  to  the  soul,  he  read  and  re-read  the  black 
words,  unable,  for  a  long  time,  to  tear  himself  away 
from  the  spot.  A  quick  alarm  seized  him.  He  slunk 
back  into  the  shadows,  his  hunger  forgotten.  For  many 
minutes  he  stood  in  the  grisly  darkness,  staring  at  the 
white  patch  on  the  fence.  Curses  rose  to  his  lips  — 
lips  that  had  never  known  an  oath  before ;  prayers  and 
pleadings  were  forgotten  in  that  bitter  arraignment  of 
fate. 

Then  came  the  sudden  revival  of  youthful  spirits, 
carrying  with  them  the  reckless  bravado  that  all  boys 


THE    FUGITIVE  13 

possess  to  the  verge  of  folly.  The  band  was  playing, 
the  show  had  begun.  In  his  mind's  eye  he  could  see 
the  "  grand  entree"  A  fierce  desire  to  brave  detection 
and  boldly  enter  the  charmed  pavilion  took  possession 
of  him.  First,  he  would  buy  of  the  pieman's  wares ; 
then  he  would  calmly  present  himself  before  the  ticket- 
wagon  window,  after  which —  But  he  got  no  farther 
in  his  dream  of  audacity.  The  placard  on  the  fence 
seemed  to  smite  him  in  the  face.  He  drew  farther  back 
into  the  darkness,  shuddering.  With  his  arms  clasped 
tightly  across  his  chest,  shivering  in  the  chill  that  had 
returned  triumphant,  he  dragged  himself  wearily  away 
from  the  place  of  temptation. 

Circling  the  dressing-tent,  he  came  upon  men  at  work. 
They  were  drawing  stakes  with  the  old-fashioned  chains. 
For  a  while  he  dully  watched  them.  They  passed  on. 
He  crept  from  his  place  of  hiding  and,  attracted  by 
the  lights  as  a  moth  is  drawn  by  the  candle,  made  his 
way  to  the  sheltered  spot  at  the  joining  of  the  tents. 

After  a  few  moments  of  restless  vigil  an  overpower 
ing  sense  of  lassitude  fell  upon  him.  His  eyes  closed 
in  abrupt  surrender  to  exhaustion.  The  rhythmic  beat 
of  the  quickstep  leaped  off  into  great  distances ;  the 
champing  and  snorting  of  horses  in  the  dressing-tent 
died  away  as  if  by  magic ;  the  subdued  voices  of  the 
men  and  women  who  waited  their  turn  to  bound  into 
the  merry  ring  faded  into  indistinguishable  whispers ; 
the  crack  of  the  ring  master's  whip  and  the  responsive 
yelp  of  the  clown  trailed  off  into  silence.  His  head 
fell  back,  his  body  relaxed,  and  he  slipped  off  into 
sweet  unconsciousness. 

A  man  in  motley  garb,  with  a  face  of  scarlet  and 
white,  sitting  on  a  blue  half-barrel  near  the  flap  which 
indicated  the  entrance  to  the  men's  section  of  the 
dressing-tent,  caught  sight  of  an  arm  and  hand  lying 


14  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

limp  under  the  edge  of  the  canvas.  He  stared  hard 
for  a  moment  and  then,  attracted  by  the  slim,  un 
familiar  member,  arose  and  advanced  to  the  spot.  As 
he  stood  there,  looking  down  at  the  hand,  a  woman 
and  a  young  girl  approached. 

"  Drunk,"  observed  the  clown,  with  a  grimace. 

They  stopped  beside  him,  looking  down.  The  woman 
spoke.  "  How  long  and  fine  the  fingers  are.  A  boy's 
hand,  not  a  man's.  See  who  is  there,  Joey,  do." 

And  so  it  was  that  the  fugitive  was  taken. 

The  clown  lifted  the  sidewall  and  bent  over  the  form 
of  the  lad,  peering  into  the  white,  mud-streaked  face. 

"  He  's  not  drunk,"  he  said  quickly. 

"  He  looks  ill,  poor  fellow.  How  wet  he  is,  —  and 
so  muddy.  Is  he  asleep?  It  isn't  —  it  isn't  some 
thing  else  ?  "  She  drew  back  in  sudden  dread. 

"  He  's  alive,  right  enough.  I  say,  Mrs.  Braddock, 
there  's  something  queer  about  this.  He  can't  belong 
in  this  'ere  town,  else  he  would  n't  be  sleepin'  'ere  in 
the  mud.  He  's  plain  pegged  out,  ma'am.  Like  enough 
Je  's  some  poor  fool  as  wants  to  j  oin  the  circus.  Run 
away  from  'ome,  I  daresay.  We  've  'ad  lots  of  'em 
follow  us  up  lately,  you  know.  Only  this  'un  looks 
different.  Shall  I  call  Peterson  ?  He  '11  wake  'im  up 
right  enough  and  conwince  'im  that  the  show  business 
is  a  good  thing  to  stay  out  of  while  he  can." 

"  Don't  call  Peterson.  He  is  a  brute.  Rouse  him 
yourself,  and  tell  him  to  come  inside  the  tent.  Poor 
boy,  he 's  half  drowned.  Come,  dearie,"  to  the  girl, 
"  go  into  the  dressing-room.  You  must  not  see  —  " 

"  He  is  so  white  and  ill-looking,  mother,"  said  the 
girl,  in  pitying  tones,  her  gaze  fastened  upon  the  face 
of  the  sleeper.  The  mother  drew  the  child  aside,  an 
arm  about  her  shoulder.  Together  they  watched  the 
clown's  efforts  to  arouse  the  boy. 


THE    FUGITIVE  15 

"  He  may  be  another  Artful  Dick,  my  child,"  ven 
tured  the  mother.  "  Your  father  says  the  pickpockets 
are  uncommonly  numerous  this  spring." 

"  I  'm  sure  he  is  n't  a  thief  —  I  'm  sure  of  it,"  said 
the  girl  eagerly. 

She  was  a  pretty,  brown-haired  creature,  whose  large, 
serious  eyes  seemed  unnaturally  dark  and  brilliant 
against  the  vivid  coloring  of  her  cheeks  and  forehead. 
The  blacks,  whites  and  carmines  of  the  make-up  box 
had  beautified  her  for  the  ring  but  not  for  closer  ob 
servation.  One  who  understood  the  secrets  of  the 
"  make-up "  could  have  told  at  a  glance  that  under 
neath  the  thick  layer  of  powder  and  paint  there  was 
a  soft,  white  skin;  even  the  rough,  careless  application 
of  harmless  cosmetics  could  not,  in  any  sense,  deceive 
one  as  to  the  delicacy  of  her  features.  The  mouth,  red 
with  the  carmine  grease,  was  gentle,  even  tremulous ; 
her  nose,  though  streaked  with  a  thin,  white  line,  was 
straight  and  pure  patrician  in  its  modeling,  with  fine, 
quivering  nostrils,  now  gently  distended  by  sharp  exer 
cise  in  the  ring;  her  ears  were  small,  her  throat  round 
and  slim;  right  proudly  her  head  rode  the  firm,  white 
neck;  the  warm,  brown  hair  swept  down  in  caresses  for 
the  bare  shoulders. 

A  long,  red  Shaker  cloak  enveloped  the  slim,  straight 
body.  Dainty  golden  slippers,  protected  by  the  un 
gainly  ground  shoes  of  the  circus  performer,  peeped 
from  beneath  the  hem  of  the  robe.  A  small,  visorless 
cap  of  red  velvet  fitted  snugly  over  the  crown  of  her 
head. 

Now  the  lips  were  parted  and  the  eyes  narrowed  by 
interest  in  the  stranger  who  slept  against  their  walls. 

The  mother  was  still  a  young  woman ;  a  pretty  one, 
despite  the  careworn  expression  in  her  eyes  and  the 
tired  lines  in  her  face.  She  was  dressed  in  the  ordinary 


16  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

garments  of  the  street,  in  no  way  suggestive  of  the  cir 
cus.  There  was  an  unmistakable  air  of  gentle  breeding 
about  her,  patient  under  the  strain  of  adverse  circum 
stances,  but  strong  and  resolute  in  the  power  to  meet 
them  without  flinching.  This  woman,  you  could  see  at 
a  glance,  was  not  born  to  the  circus  and  its  hardships ; 
she  came  of  another  world.  Tall  and  slender  and  proud 
she  was,  endowed  with  the  poise  of  a  thorough  gentle 
woman.  Hers  was  a  fine,  brilliant  face,  crowned  by 
dark  hair  that  grew  low  and  waved  about  her  temples. 
Deep,  tender  brown  eyes  met  yours  steadily  and  with 
unwavering  candor.  There  was  strength  and  loyalty 
and  purity  in  their  depths.  No  hardness,  no  callous 
ness,  no  guile,  no  rancor  there:  only  the  clear,  sweet 
eyes  of  a  woman  whose  soul  is  white.  There  was  an 
infinite  pity  in  them  now. 

The  clown  had  shaken  the  boy  into  partial  wakeful- 
ness.  He  was  sitting  up,  leaning  forward  on  his 
hands,  his  eyes  blinking  in  the  contest  between  sleep 
and  amazement. 

"  Get  up,"  said  Grinaldi,  the  clown,  shaking  him  by 
the  shoulder.  "  What  are  you  doing  here,  boy  ?  " 

The  lad  came  quickly  to  his  feet  and  would  have 
rushed  away  into  the  darkness  behind  him  had  it  not 
been  for  the  restraining  grip  on  his  arm.  He  felt  him 
self  being  dragged  into  the  stuffy,  mysterious  vestibule 
of  the  tent,  into  plain  view  of  a  half-dozen  vividly  at 
tired  persons,  almost  under  the  feet  of  stolid,  gayly 
caparisoned  horses  wearing  the  great  back-pads. 

And  this  creature  who  led  him  there  —  this  grotesque 
object  with  the  chalky  face  and  coal-black  eyebrows 
that  ran  up  in  tall  triangles  to  meet  a  still  chalkier  pate 
—  this  figure  with  the  red  and  black  crescents  on  his 
cheeks  and  the  baggy,  spotted  suit  of  red  and  white  and 
blue  and  the  conical  hat  —  who  and  what  was  he  ? 


THE    FUGITIVE  17 

The  clown! 

He  was  not  dreaming  —  he  was  in  the  dressing-tent 
of  the  circus,  enveloped  by  the  dull,  magic  atmosphere 
that  comes  in  the  smoke  of  burning  oils,  —  an  atmos 
phere  that  is  never  to  be  found  outside  the  low  walls  of 
a  dressing-tent.  He  experienced  a  sudden  feeling  of 
suffocation.  The  whole  world  seemed  to  have  closed 
in  upon  him ;  a  drab  sky  almost  touched  his  head ;  the 
horizon  seemed  to  have  rushed  up  to  within  ten  feet 
of  where  he  stood. 

His  bewildered  gaze  took  in  the  horses,  the  boxes,  the 
trunks,  the  ring  paraphernalia,  the  "  properties,"  the 
discarded  uniforms  of  attendants  —  cast  in  apparent 
confusion  here,  there  and  everywhere.  Somehow,  as  he 
stared,  this  conglomerate  mass  of  unfamiliar  things 
seemed  to  creep  away  into  the  black  shadows  he  had  not 
perceived  before;  the  drab  dome  of  the  tent  began  to 
swirl  above  his  head,  like  a  merry-go-round ;  the  lights 
danced  and  then  went  out. 

Grinaldi,  the  clown,  caught  him  in  his  arms  as  he 
slipped  forward  in  a  dead  faint. 


CHAPTER    II 

IN    THE    DRESSING-TEXT 

WHEN  he  regained  consciousness,  he  was  lying  on  a 
thick,  dusty  mattress,  his  head  pillowed  on  a  bundle  of 
cloth  that  smelled  of  cotton  and  dyestuffs.  Faces 
emerged  from  the  gloom  around  him.  Some  one  was 
holding  a  torch  over  his  strange  couch.  That  odd  face 
in  bismuth  and  lampblack  was  bending  over  him. 

"  He  's  come  'round,  Mrs.  Braddock,"  he  heard  this 
creature  say,  in  a  far-off  voice.  "  Only  a  faint,  nothing 
more.  Poor  lad,  he  looks  ill  and  'ungry." 

Then  other  figures,  all  gaudy  and  bright  and  glitter 
ing,  crowded  into  his  vision.  He  tried  to  raise  himself 
to  his  elbow,  a  fierce  wave  of  embarrassment  rushing 
over  him.  Some  one  supported  him  from  behind.  As  he 
came  to  a  sitting  position,  he  turned  his  head  to  thank 
tliis  person.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  he  repressed  a 
cry  of  alarm.  The  being  who  braced  him  with  friendly 
arms  was  a  glittering,  shiny  thing  of  green,  with  a 
human  face  that  leered  upon  him. 

Observing  the  youth's  bewilderment  and  uncertainty, 
Grinaldi  laughed. 

"  He  's  not  a  boa-constrictor,  lad.  He  's  the  boneless 
wonder.  He  's  as  gentle  as  a  spring  lamb,  and  not  'arf 
as  tough.  Signor  Anaconda,  the  Human  Snake,  — 
that 's  wot  he  's  called  on  the  bills.  Ed  Casey  's  'is  real 
name." 

"  Aw,  cheese  it,  Joey,"  growled  the  amiable  Signor. 
"  Say,  young  feller,  what 's  ailing  you  ?  Where  'd  you 
come  from?  " 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  19 

The  stranger  in  this  curious  world  managed  to  turn 
his  body  so  that  his  legs  hung  over  the  side  of  the 
vaulter's  mattress ;  he  faced  his  audience,  a  sudden 
wariness  in  his  eyes.  Before  venturing  a  word  of  expla 
nation,  he  allowed  his  gaze  to  sweep  the  entire  group. 
They  mistook  his  deliberateness  for  stupefaction. 

He  saw  perhaps  a  dozen  people  in  the  group  before 
him.  The  colors  of  the  rainbow  were  represented  in  the 
staring,  curious  company.  There  were  men  in  tights 
and  women  in  tights  —  in  pink  and  red  and  green  and 
blue  —  some  of  them  still  panting  and  breathless  after 
their  perilous  work  in  the  ring.  He  took  them  all  in 
at  a  glance,  but  his  eyes  rested  at  last  on  the  one  figure 
that  seemed  out-of-place  in  this  motley  crowd :  the  tall, 
graceful  figure  of  the  woman  in  street  clothes.  He 
looked  long  at  the  sweet,  gentle,  unpainted  face  of  this 
woman,  and  drew  his  first  deep  breath  of  relief  and  hope 
when  she  smiled.  She  moved  quickly  through  the  crowd 
of  acrobats  and  riders,  followed  close  behind  by  the  slim, 
wide-eyed  girl  in  the  long  red  cloak.  An  instant  later 
she  was  sitting  beside  him  on  the  mattress,  smiling  with 
friendly  encouragement  as  she  laid  her  hand  upon  his 
arm.  The  girl  stood  at  her  knee.  For  the  first  time  the 
fugitive  noticed  the  face  of  this  slender  girl  —  no,  it 
was  the  eyes  alone  that  he  saw,  for  the  face  was  grossly 
covered  with  pigments. 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  asked  the  tall  woman  gently. 
"  Have  you  —  have  you  run  away  from  home,  my  boy  ?  " 

"  How  long  have  I  been  here  ?  "  There  was  a  sugges 
tion  of  alarm  in  the  abrupt  question. 

His  voice,  querulous  through  excitement,  was  quite 
strong  and  musical.  The  tone  and  his  manner  of  ad 
dressing  the  questioner  proved  beyond  contradiction 
that  he  was  no  ordinary  tramp,  or  show-follower,  such 
as  they  were  in  the  habit  of  seeing  in  their  travels.  A 


20  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

dozen  fine  old  Virginia  gentlemen,  perhaps,  one  after 
another,  had  lived  and  died  before  him ;  down  that  pre 
cious  line  of  blood  had  come  the  strain  that  makes  for 
the  finished  thoroughbred  —  the  real  Virginia  aristo 
crat.  Six  words,  spoken  with  the  mild  drawl  of  the 
cultured  Southerner,  were  sufficient  to  prove  his  title. 
No  amount  of  mud  or  tatters  or  physical  distress  could 
take  away  the  inborn  charm  of  blood.  No  haggardness 
or  pain  could  detract  from  the  fine,  clean  movement  of 
the  lips,  or  sully  the  deep  intelligence  of  the  eyes. 

His  audience  at  once  found  a  new  interest  in  him.  He 
was  not  what  they  had  expected  him  to  be ;  this  boy  was 
no  scatter-brained  country  lout,  with  the  dream  of  the 
circus  at  the  back  of  his  folly. 

He,  of  course,  could  not  have  known  that  during  the 
ten  minutes  in  which  he  lay  unconscious  on  the  huge 
pad  a  score  of  these  curious,  sympathetic  strollers,  par 
tially  or  wholly  dressed,  had  come  out  to  gaze  upon 
him,  each  delivering  a  characteristic  opinion  as  to  his 
purpose,  but  all  of  them  roughly  compassionate.  With 
out  exception,  they  looked  upon  him  as  one  of  the  show- 
sick  youths  who,  in  those  days,  as  now,  succumb  too 
readily  to  the  lure  of  sawdust  and  spangles.  More  than 
one  scoffing  jest  was  uttered  over  his  unconscious  head. 

Now  they  realized  that  he  was  not  what  they  had 
thought  him  to  be.  A  deeper  tragedy  than  this  seemed 
to  be  stamped  in  his  wan  face. 

"  You  fainted  ten  minutes  ago.  Are  you  feeling 
better  now?  Give  him  some  brandy,  one  of  you.  We 
will  put  you  on  your  feet  again  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  you  may  get  on  to  the  hotel.  How  wet  you  are! 
You  must  have  come  far." 

He  watched  her  face  all  the  time  she  was  speaking. 
No  sign  of  trust  or  confidence  came  into  his  own  as  the 
result  of  her  kindliness.  Instead,  the  wariness  grew. 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  21 

"  Only  across  the  mountain,"  he  said  succinctly.  A 
half  smile,  quizzical  and  almost  grotesque  by  reason  of 
the  mud  on  his  chin,  came  to  his  lips.  "  I  've  been  out 
in  the  rain,  ma'am,"  he  vouchsafed. 

"  I  should  say  you  had,"  said  the  contortionist. 
"  You  're  soppin'  wet.  By  gum,  I  '11  bet  the  green  runs 
in  these  tights  of  mine,  too."  The  wet  body  had 
drenched  them  thoroughly. 

Whereupon  the  newcomer  undertook  to  support  him 
self,  not  without  a  word  of  thanks  to  the  acrobat.  Once 
more  he  surveyed  the  mystic  circle  of  figures.  He  had 
never  been  so  close  to  men  and  women  in  tights  before. 
Somehow  they  were  not  so  alluring  as  when  viewed  from 
the  blue  seats  of  the  circus  tent.  The  fluffy,  abbrevi 
ated  tarletan  skirts  of  two  women  bareback  riders  who 
stood  not  more  than  two  yards  away  seemed  tawdry  and 
flimsy  at  close  range;  the  pink  fleshings  of  the  world's 
greatest  somersault  artist  looked  rumpled  and  fuzzy; 
the  zouave  costume  of  the  lady  rope-walker  lost  its 
satiny  sheen  through  propinquity ;  the  clown  was  dusty 
and  greasy  and  stuffy.  An  illusion  was  being  shattered 
in  the  flash  of  an  eye. 

"  I  must  be  moving  along,"  he  said,  in  quick  return 
to  apprehension.  "  Thank  you  for  looking  out  for 
me.  It  was  very  kind  of  —  "  He  swayed  as  he  tried 
to  arise.  The  genial  contortionist  caught  him. 

"  He  's  hungry !  "  cried  one  of  the  bareback  queens. 
He  made  a  heroic  effort  to  pull  himself  together.  The 
innate  modesty  of  a  gentleman  reproved  him  even  as 
things  went  hazy :  he  was  conscious  that  he  was  staring 
at  the  surprisingly  large  kneecaps  of  the  speaker.  He 
was  vaguely  troubled  because  they  were  dirty. 

A  flask  of  brandy  was  pressed  to  his  lips.  He  gasped, 
caught  his  breath,  and,  as  the  tears  came  to  his  eyes, 
smiled  apologetically. 


22  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  It 's  pretty  strong,"  he  choked  out. 

"  Puts  snap  and  ginger  into  you,"  said  the  clown, 
standing  back  to  watch  the  effect  of  his  ministrations. 
"  It  strikes  me  you  're  not  a  common  tramp.  Wot  were 
you  doing  'angin'  round  this  tent,  son?  Don't  you 
know  you  might  'ave  got  clubbed  to  death  by  one  of 
the  canvasmen  out  there?  They  're  never  'appy  unless 
they  're  kickin'  some  poor  rube  over  the  guy-ropes. 
You  was  n't  trying  to  peep  into  the  dress  ing- tent,  was 
you?  " 

A  hot  flush  mounted  to  the  boy's  forehead.  He  arose 
unsteadily. 

"  No,"  he  said  quickly.  "  I  was  trying  to  find  a  dry 
spot.  I  was  tired  out.  Let  me  go  now,  please.  I  'm  all 
right."  He  started  toward  a  flap  in  the  tent  wall. 

"  Better  not  go  that-a-way,"  said  the  clown.  "  You  '11 
go  plump  into  the  ring.  Wait  a  minute.  Are  you 
'ungry?" 

"  No,"  said  the  boy,  but  they  knew  he  was  not  speak 
ing  the  truth.  The  girl  in  the  long  red  cloak,  she  of 
the  wonderful  eyes,  stood  before  him. 

"  Please  wait,  won't  you  ?  "  she  said,  half  timidly, 
half  imperatively.  "  I  will  get  something  for  you  to  eat. 
It 's  —  it 's  right  over  there  in  my  corner.  The  cook 
always  brings  my  father's  supper  here  after  the  show 
begins.  He  won't  mind  if  I  give  it  to  you.  He  can  get 
more.  My  father  owns  the  show." 

"  No,  no,"  he  cried.  "  I  can't  take  his  supper.  I 
am  not  hungry." 

But  she  smiled  and  flew  away,  disappearing  behind 
the  flap  at  his  left :  a  fluttering  red  fairy  she  might  have 
been.  He  never  forgot  that  first  radiant,  enveloping 
smile. 

"  It  is  all  right,  my  boy,"  said  the  girl's  mother,  also 
smiling.  "  You  are  hungry.  We  know  what  it  is  to 
be  hungry  —  sometimes." 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  23 

"  That  we  do,"  said  the  contortionist,  rubbing  his 
narrow  abdomen  and  drawing  a  lugubrious  mouth. 

"  You  must  be  quite  frozen  in  those  wet  clothes,"  ob 
served  Mrs.  Braddock  pityingly. 

"  I  can't  stay  here,  ma'am,"  he  said  abruptly.  The 
hunted  look  came  back  into  his  eyes. 

"  He  's  no  regular  bum,"  said  the  "  strong  man,"  in 
the  background,  addressing  the  pink-limbed  "  lady 
juggler." 

"  He 's  got  a  'istory,  that  boy  'as,"  said  the  lady 
addressed,  deeply  interested.  "  Makes  me  think  o'  that 
boy  Dickens  wrote  about.  What  was  his  name?  " 

"  How  should  I  know  ?  "  demanded  the  strong  man. 
"  You  Britishers  are  always  workin'  off  riddles  about 
something  somebody  wrote." 

"  What  is  your  name  ? "  asked  the  gentle-voiced 
woman  at  the  boy's  side.  "  Where  do  you  come  from?  " 

He  hesitated,  still  uncertain  of  his  standing  among 
these  strange,  apparently  friendly  people. 

"  I  can't  tell  you  my  name,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 
"  I  hoped  you  would  n't  ask  me.  I  have  no  home  now 
—  not  since  —  Oh,  a  long  time  ago,  it  seems.  More 
than  a  week,  I  reckon,  ma'am." 

"  You  have  been  wandering  about  like  this  for  a 
Week?  "  she  asked  in  surprise.  He  gulped. 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  Since  the  eleventh  of  May."  He 
wanted  to  tell  her  that  he  had  been  hunted  from  county 
to  county  for  over  a  week,  but  something  held  his 
tongue.  He  felt  that  she  would  understand  and  sym 
pathize,  but  he  was  not  so  sure  of  the  others. 

Perhaps  she  suspected  what  was  going  on  in  that 
troubled  brain,  for  she  laid  her  hand  gently  upon  his 
arm  and  said :  "  Never  mind,  then.  When  you  are 
stronger,  you  may  go.  I  am  sure  you  are  a  good  boy." 

He  thanked  her  with  a  look  of  mute  gratitude. 


24  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

The  girl  with  the  long  red  cloak  came  tripping  back 
with  a  tray.  She  placed  it  on  his  knees ;  then  she 
whisked  away  the  napkin  which  covered  it.  All  he  knew 
was  that  he  smiled  up  into  her  eyes  through  his  tears, 
and  that  the  smell  of  warm  food  assailed  his  nostrils. 
As  she  straightened  up,  the  neglected  cloak  slipped  from 
her  shoulders.  She  caught  it  on  her  arm,  but  did  not 
attempt  to  replace  it.  He  lowered  his  eyes,  singularly 
abashed.  A  trim,  clean  figure  in  red  tights  stood  before 
him,  absolutely  without  fear  or  shame  or  in  the  least 
conscious  of  her  attire. 

He  was  in  her  world,  that  was  all.  In  his,  outside 
that  canvas  crucible  and  between  performances,  she 
would  have  died  of  mortification  if,  by  chance,  there 
had  been  one-tenth  of  the  exposure.  Here,  she  was  as 
fully  dressed  and  as  modestly  as  she  would  be  an  hour 
later,  clothed  from  head  to  foot  in  the  conventional  gar 
ments  of  her  sex,  rigidly  observing  the  strictest  laws 
of  delicacy. 

A  trim,  straight  figure  she  was,  just  rounding  into 
young  womanhood;  turning  fifteen,  in  truth.  Lithe 
and  graceful,  with  the  sinuous  development  of  a  per 
fectly  healthy  young  girl  who  has  gone  through  the 
expanding  process  without  pausing  at  the  awkward 
stage,  due  no  doubt  to  her  life  and  training.  Firm,  well- 
rounded  hips;  a  small  waist,  full  chest  and  perfect 
shoulders,  straight,  exquisitely  modeled  limbs  and  high, 
arched  insteps:  perfect  in  girlhood,  with  promise  of 
the  divine  at  the  height  of  full  womanhood. 

The  mother  arose  at  once.  She  remembered  that  he 
was  in  their  world. 

"  Come,"  she  said  to  her  daughter.  They  withdrew 
to  the  women's  half  of  the  dressing-tent,  leaving  him 
to  devour  his  feast  alone.  Slowly  the  others,  taking 
their  cue,  edged  away.  When  next  the  clown  ap- 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  25 

preached  him,  fresh  from  a  merry  whirl  in  the  ring, 
the  tray  was  on  the  mattress  at  his  side,  every  particle 
of  food  gone.  The  boy's  face  was  in  his  hands,  his 
elbows  on  his  knees. 

"  Well,  you  was  'ungry,"  said  the  kindly  voice.  The 
boy  looked  up,  his  eyelids  heavy. 

"  I  reckon  I  was  almost  asleep,"  he  said.  "  I  have  n't 
slept  much  of  late." 

Suddenly  it  dawned  on  him  that  the  clown  was  star 
ing  intently  at  his  face.  With  quick  understanding  he 
shrank  back,  but  did  not  withdraw  his  gaze  from  the 
eyes  of  the  other. 

"By  jingo!"  muttered  the  motley  one.  "You  — 
you  are  the  one  they  're  'unting  for  —  all  over  the  state. 
The  reward  bills !  I  remember  now !  " 

The  lad  had  risen.  A  look  of  abject  misery  and  dread 
leaped  in  his  eyes. 

"  Let  me  go !  "  he  said,  almost  in  a  whisper,  fiercely 
intense.  "  I  '11  get  out.  I  have  n't  done  any  harm  to 
you.  Don't  keep  me  here  a  minute  —  " 

"  Then  you  are  the  Jenison  boy ! "  in  open-mouthed 
wonder.  "Well,  I'll  be  jiggered!  Here!  Don't  bolt 
like  that !  " 

"  Let  go  of  me !  "  cried  the  boy,  striking  at  the  hand 
that  clutched  his  arm.  "  I  won't  let  them  catch  me ! 
Let  me  go !  " 

"  Keep  your  shirt  on,  my  son,"  said  the  clown  coolly. 
"  Nobody  's  going  to  'urt  you  'ere.  Just  you  remember 
that.  I  am  not  going  to  give  you  up  —  leastwise,  not 
just  yet.  So  you  murdered  your  grandfather,  did  you? 
Well,  I  would  n't  'ave  took  you  to  be  that  kind  —  " 

"  I  did  n't  do  it !  I  did  n't  do  it !  "  There  was  piteous 
appeal  in  his  wide  eyes.  "  I  swear  I  did  n't.  They  're 
trying  to  put  it  on  me  to  save  some  one  else.  Oh,  please, 
don't  keep  me  here.  They  —  they  are  —  they  must 


26  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

be  here  by  this  time,  looking  for  me.  Oh,  if  you-  knew 
how  I  've  tried  to  dodge  them.  They  had  bloodhounds 
last  Saturday.  Oh ! "  He  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands  and  shuddered  as  with  a  mighty  chill. 

Grinaldi  eyed  him  speculatively. 

"  You  say  they  're  'ere  now?  So  close  as  that?  "  he 
demanded  in  a  low  voice. 

"  I  passed  them  on  the  mountain.  I  tried  to  make 
the  railroad  ahead  of  them.  There  was  a  bridge  down 
back  there.  There  were  two  of  them,  officers  from  the 
county  seat.  They  won't  have  any  mercy  if  they  find 
me.  They  '11  take  me  back  and  I  '11  be  hung.  I  can't 
prove  anything  —  I  can't  escape."  He  had  dropped 
helplessly  to  the  edge  of  the  mattress,  and  was  staring 
hard  at  the  sidewall  beyond  as  if  expecting  his  pursuers 
to  burst  in  upon  him  at  any  moment. 

"  And  you  did  n't  do  it?  "  the  clown  asked,  something 
like  awe  in  his  voice. 

"  Before  God,  I  did  not.  I  —  I  loved  my  grand 
father.  I  could  n't  have  done  it.  Why,  he  was  the  only 
father  I  had  —  the  only  mother.  He  was  everything 
to  me.  It  was  —  "  He  caught  himself  up  quickly  in  his 
wild  declaration.  "  I  know  the  man  who  did  it.  I  heard 
them  talking  it  over  before  it  happened,  but  I  did  n't 
know  what  they  were  talking  about."  His  eyes  grew 
almost  glassy  with  the  horror  that  surged  up  from 
behind  them. 

"Then  why  don't  you  tell  your  story?"  demanded 
the  clown.  "  Let  the  other  chap  clear  'imself." 

"  They  've  got  the  evidence  against  me.  Oh,  you 
don't  know !  You  can't  know  how  it  looked  to  the  world. 
There  's  a  man  who  says  he  saw  me  with  a  gun  at  my 
grandfather's  window.  He  did  see  me  there  and  I  had 
a  gun,  but  not  to  kill  poor  old  granddaddy.  No,  no ! 
I  heard  some  one  walking  on  the  gallery  —  a  thief,  I 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  27 

thought.  I  crawled  out  of  my  window  with  my  shotgun. 
I  —  but  I  ought  n't  to  tell  you  this.  You  must  let  me 
go.  I  '11  never  tell  on  you,  I  swear  —  " 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  interrupted  the  clown,  laying  his 
arm  over  the  boy's  shoulder.  "  We  '11  talk  it  over  with 
Mrs.  Braddock.  She  can  tell  by  lookin'  in  your  eyes 
whether  you  're  good  or  bad.  As  far  as  I  'm  con 
cerned,  I  don't  believe  you  did  it.  Yes,  yes,  that 's  all 
right !  Don't  hug  me,  sonny.  Here  she  is.  She  's  the 
wife  of  the  man  wot  owns  the  show." 

Mrs.  Braddock  crossed  over  to  them,  smiling.  It  was 
not  until  she  opened  her  lips  to  speak  of  the  compliment 
his  appetite  had  paid  to  the  cook  tent  that  she  perceived 
the  look  in  his  eyes.  Then  she  glanced  at  the  serious 
face  of  the  clown. 

"  This  'ere  chap,  ma'am,"  said  Grinaldi,  in  low,  level 
tones,  "  is  David  Jenison,  the  boy  wanted  for  that  mur 
der  near  Richmond  last  week.  You  've  seen  the  reward 
bills.  His  grandfather,  you  remember  —  " 

She  drew  back;   her  eyes  dilated,  her  lips  stiff. 

"  You  are  the  Jenison  boy  ?  "  she  said  slowly,  even 
unbelievingly.  "  The  one  who  killed  his  grandfa  —  " 

"  But  I  did  n't  do  it !  "  he  almost  wailed.  "  You  — 
you  must  believe  me,  ma'am.  I  did  n't  do  it ! "  He 
stood  before  her,  looking  straight  into  her  eyes. 

"  No,  Mrs.  Braddock,"  said  Grinaldi,  "  he  did  n't  do 
it." 

"How  do  you  know,  Grinaldi?     How  can  you  —  " 

"  Because  he  says  another  person  did  it,"  said  Gri 
naldi  calmly. 

The  woman  turned  to  the  boy  once  more.  She  seemed 
to  be  searching  his  soul  with  her  intense  gaze. 

"  No,"  she  murmured,  after  a  moment,  breathing 
deeply,  "  I  am  sure  you  did  not  commit  murder.  You 
poor,  poor  boy !  " 


28  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  would  have  dropped  to  his  knees  before  her,  had 
not  the  clown  checked  him  by  means  of  a  warning  hiss. 

"  Brace  up !  "  he  said  sharply.  Then  to  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock:  "We've  got  to  find  a  way  to  'ide  'im.  The 
officers  are  right  on  his  'eels." 

She  hesitated  for  a  moment.  Swift  glances  passed 
between  her  and  the  clown. 

"  You  must  keep  very  quiet  and  do  what  we  tell  you 
to  do,"  she  said  to  the  boy,  who  nodded  his  head  eagerly. 
"  You  will  be  safe  here.  A  circus  is  the  safest  harbor 
in  all  the  world  for  the  thief  and  the  lawbreaker.  Why 
should  it  not  be  so  for  one  who  is  innocent  ?  " 

"  Let  me  tell  you  all  about  it,  madam,"  began  David 
Jenison,  the  hunted.  She  stopped  him. 

"  Not  now.  There  is  no  time  for  that.  We  will  take 
you  on  faith  and  we  will  help  you.  My  boy,  I  knew  in 
the  beginning  that  you  were  of  gentle  birth  —  I  saw 
it  in  your  face,  in  the  way  you  held  yourself.  But  that 
you  should  be  one  of  the  Jenisons  of  Virginia  —  why, 
Grinaldi,  the  Jenisons  are  the  bluest  —  But,  there, 
we  '11  talk  of  that  another  time,  too.  Sam  !  "  She  called 
to  a  ring  attendant  who  stood  near  the  entrance.  The 
burly,  rough-looking  young  man  came  up  at  once,  re 
spectful  to  a  degree. 

"  Go  out  in  front  and  tell  Mr.  Braddock  to  hurry 
back  here  as  soon  as  he  is  through  with  the  tickets !  " 
The  man  slid  out  between  the  flapping  walls.  "  Now, 
Grinaldi,  you  must  make  it  your  business  to  tell  every 
one  who  this  boy  is,  and  what  must  be  done  for  him. 
Don't  be  alarmed,  David  Jenison,"  she  said  with  a  smile. 
He  had  opened  his  lips  to  protest.  "  There  is  n't  a  soul 
in  all  this  company,  from  feed-boy  to  proprietor,  who 
will  betray  you  to  the  officers  of  the  law.  We  stand 
together  —  the  innocent  and  the  guilty.  If  you  are 
vouched  for  by  Joey  Grinaldi  and  —  me,  or  by  any 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  29 

other  in  our  little  universe,  that  is  the  end  of  it.  Even 
the  basest  ruffian  in  the  canvas  gang,  even  the  vilest  of 
the  hostlers,  will  stand  by  you  through  thick  and  thin. 
And  there  are  real  murderers  among  them,  too.  You 
must  have  faith  in  us." 

"  I  have  faith  in  you"  he  said  simply.  Then,  true 
Virginian  that  he  was,  this  tired,  harassed  boy  bent  low 
and  lifted  her  hand  to  his  gallant  lips.  "  I  will  give 
my  life  up  for  you  any  day,  madam.  It  is  yours." 

"  Spoken  like  a  gentleman,"  said  the  clown,  his  eyes 
twinkling. 

A  couple  of  horses  came  clattering  into  the  tent  from 
the  ring.  At  the  entrance  they  were  seized  by  waiting 
attendants ;  one  of  the  mysteries  that  had  always  puz 
zled  the  boy  was  solved.  He  had  wondered  where  the 
plunging  steeds  raced  to  after  their  whirlwind  exit  from 
the  ring.  A  moment  later,  a  swarm  of  men  came  rushing 
in  with  hoops,  balloons  and  banners  and  hurdle-poles, 
followed  by  the  "  Greatest  Living  Bareback  Rider  of  the 
Globe,  the  One  and  Only  Mellburg."  After  him  came 
a  tired  ringmaster,  lanky  and  not  half  so  proud  as  he 
looked  to  be  in  his  spike-tailed  coat. 

Some  one  in  the  big  tent  was  making  an  announce 
ment  in  stentorian  tones. 

"  It 's  time  for  me  to  go  in,"  said  the  clown.  "  My 
song  comes  now.  Just  you  go  along  with  Casey  'ere, 
into  the  dressing-room.  He  '11  get  you  something  dry 
to  wear  out  of  my  box.  Don't  forget  one  thing :  we  're 
all  as  thick  as  thieves  'ere,  whether  we  're  honest  men 
or  not.  You  '11  find  every  man,  woman  and  child  wot 
appears  in  the  ring  to  be  absolutely  square  and  honest. 
They  've  got  to  be.  The  bad  men  are  not  the  per 
formers.  You  'd  find  that  out  if  you  was  with  'em  a 
bit.  I  don't  mind  tellin'  of  it  to  you,  as  a  consolation, 
that  there  is  two  real  murderers  among  the  canvasmen 


30  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

and  a  dozen  or  more  pussons  which  are  wanted  for  des- 
p'rit  things.  Nobody  peaches  on  'em,  mind  you,  and 
that's  the  way  it  goes.  We've  just  got  to  stand  to 
gether.  Hi!  Hi!" 

He  was  off  with  a  rush.  A  few  minutes  later  he  was 
heard  singing  his  lay  in  the  ring,  the  then  popular  and 
familiar  ditty,  "  Whoa,  Emma !  "  with  a  crude  but  vo 
ciferous  chorus  of  male  voices  to  "join  in  the  refrain." 
Casey,  without  further  instructions,  and  asking  no  ques 
tions,  led  the  youth  into  the  men's  section.  Here  all 
was  confusion.  A  dozen  men  were  stripping  themselves 
of  one  set  of  tights  to  don  another,  for  in  those  days 
the  ordinary  acrobat  did  many  turns  in  the  process  of 
earning  his  daily  bread. 

By  the  time  Grinaldi  returned,  young  Jenison  was 
completely  arrayed  in  an  extra  costume  of  the  clown's, 
a  creation  in  red  and  white  stripes,  much  too  baggy  in 
all  directions,  but  dry  as  toast.  The  owner  of  the  cos 
tume  put  his  hands  to  his  sides  and  roared  with  laughter. 

"  Casey,  you  serpent,"  he  gasped,  "  I  did  n't  mean 
that  kind  of  a  suit.  I  meant  my  Sunday  togs  —  the 
ones  I  go  to  church  in,  when  I  goes.  Which  I  does  n't. 
'Ere,  boys,  step  right  up  and  listen  to  an  announce 
ment."  The  crowd  gave  attention.  "  This  'ere  chap 
is  wanted.  There  's  a  big  reward  for  'im.  You  've  all 
seen  the  posters.  He  's  the  Jenison  boy.  Well,  he  ain't 
guilty.  Get  the  notion  ?  We  've  got  to  'elp  'im  out  of 
the  country.  Mum  's  the  word,  lads.  Say!  "  He  stood 
back  to  inspect  his  charge.  "  If  you  're  going  to  wear 
them  togs,  you  've  got  to  'ave  your  face  done  over  to 
match." 

Whereupon  he  began  to  apply  grease  and  bismuth  to 
the  countenance  of  the  amazed  young  patrician.  The 
others  looked  on  and  laughed  good-naturedly.  To  his 
surprise,  no  one  seemed  to  mind  the  fact  that  he  was  a 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  31 

fugitive  and  an  alleged  slayer.  They  had  stared  at  him 
curiously  for  a  moment ;  two  or  three  of  them  exchanged 
whispers,  that  was  all. 

In  a  twinkling  he  was  transformed  into  a  real  scara 
mouch.  A  conical  hat  adorned  the  knit  skullpiece  that 
covered  his  black  hair. 

"  Don't  peep  in  the  lookin'-glass,"  said  Signer  Ana 
conda,  now  in  the  pale  blue  tights  of  a  "  ground  and 
lofty "  tumbler.  "  You  '11  keel  over  again,  plumb 
dead." 

The  flap  at  the  entrance  was  jerked  aside  and  a  tall, 
black-mustached  man  peered  in  upon  the  group. 

"Where's  the  kid?"  he  demanded  sharply.  "My 
wife  said  he  was  with  you,  Joey.  Say,  I  don't  like  this 
business.  They  're  out  in  front  now,  looking  for  him. 
Two  of  'em.  Have  you  let  him  get  away?  " 

David,  peering  from  behind  the  real  clown,  experi 
enced  an  instantaneous  feeling  of  aversion  for  Braddock, 
the  proprietor.  Even  as  he  quailed  beneath  the  new 
peril  that  asserted  itself  in  no  vague  manner,  he  found 
himself  wondering  how  this  man  could  have  come  to  be 
the  husband  of  his  lovely  benefactress. 

"  He  's  here,  Tom,"  announced  Grinaldi,  shoving  the 
boy  forward. 

"What's  he  doing  in  that  costume?"  demanded 
the  owner,  dropping  the  flap  and  staring  hard  at  the 
boy. 

"  His  clothes  were  wet.  Besides,  if  they  come 
botherin'  around  back  'ere,  Tom,  they  won't  be  so  likely 
to  reckernise  him  in  these  —  " 

"  Say,  do  you  suppose  I  'm  going  to  get  into  a  muss 
with  these  people  by  hiding  a  murderer? "  snapped 
Braddock.  "  Bring  him  out  here.  Come  along,  bub." 

"  You  're  getting  blamed  virtuous  all  of  a  sudden, 
Braddock,"  said  the  clown  angrily.  "  'Ow  about  these 


32  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

dogs  you  are  protectin'  all  the  time  ?  What 's  more, 
this  'ere  kid  's  innocent." 

"  There 's  five  hundred  dollars  reward  for  this  fel 
low,"  said  Braddock,  jamming  his  hands  into  his  coat 
pockets.  "  That  does  n't  sound  like  he  's  innocent,  does 
it?  Besides,  the  officers  are  plumb  certain  he  's  hanging 
around  this  show  some  place.  I  'm  not  going  to  be 
pestered  with  constables  and  detectives  from  here  to 
Indiana,  let  me  tell  you  that.  It 's  bad  business,  monkey 
ing  with  stray  boys,  ever  since  the  Charley  Ross  kid 
naping  job  last  year.  So  you  lummixes  have  decided 
to  protect  him,  have  you?  Why,  the  whole  pack  of  you 
ought  to  be  in  jail  for  even  thinkin'  of  it.  Come  out 
here,  boy !  " 

Without  a  word,  the  boy  shook  himself  free  of  Gri- 
naldi's  protecting  grasp,  and  stepped  forward. 

"  I  'm  not  willing  to  see  these  men  get  into  trouble," 
he  said  steadily,  addressing  the  boss.  "  Give  me  time 
to  change  my  clothes  again,  and  then  you  can  call  in  the 
officers." 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,"  exclaimed  the  clown.  A  murmur 
of  protest  arose  from  the  others. 

"  Thomas !  "  A  woman's  voice  was  calling  from  the 
other  side  of  the  low  canvas  partition. 

"  That 's  my  wife,"  growled  Braddock.  "  I  suppose 
she  '11  be  beggin'  for  you,  too.  What  do  you  want?  " 
The  question  was  roared  through  the  canvas. 

"  Come  here,  please.     I  must  speak  with  you." 

"  Change  your  clothes,  boy,"  he  said,  after  a  moment 
of  indecision.  "  See  that  he  don't  get  away,  you  fel 
lows.  If  he  gives  you  the  slip,  I  '11  have  blood,  and 
don't  you  forget  it." 

The  man  had  been  drinking.  His  eyes  were  blood 
shot  and  unsteady.  His  face  was  bloated  from  the  ef 
fects  of  long  and  continued  use  of  alcohol.  Once  on  a 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  33 

time  he  had  been  a  dashing,  boldly  handsome  fellow; 
there  could  be  no  doubt  of  that ;  the  sort  of  youth  that 
any  romantic  girl  might  have  fallen  in  love  with.  He 
was  tall  and  straight  and  powerful,  despite  the  evidences 
of  dissipation  that  his  face  presented.  A  wonderfully 
vital  constitution  had  protected  his  body  from  the  rav 
ages  of  self-indulgence;  the  constitution  of  a  great, 
splendid  human  animal,  in  whom  not  the  faintest  sign 
of  a  once  attractive  personality  remained.  There  was 
no  refinement  there,  no  mark  of  good  breeding;  all  of 
the  mirage-like  glamour  that  may  have  bewildered  and 
deceived  her,  long  years  ago,  was  gone.  What  she  had 
evidently  mistaken  for  the  nobility  of  true  manhood, 
in  her  innocence  and  folly,  was  no  more  than  the  arro 
gance  of  splendid  health.  This  man  had  been  beautiful 
in  his  day,  and  frankly  pleasing.  That  was  long  before 
the  thing  that  was  in  his  blood,  and  in  the  blood  of  his 
fathers,  perhaps,  had  claimed  dominion :  the  mysterious 
thing  which  inevitably  registers  the  curse  of  the  base- 
born,  so  that  no  man  may  be  deceived.  Blood  always 
tells,  but  usually  it  tells  too  late. 

But  of  the  Braddocks  and  their  hateful  history,  more 
anon.  Let  us  look  at  this  man  as  he  now  is,  just  as  we 
have  looked,  perhaps  too  casually,  at  the  woman  who 
called  him  husband. 

A  heavy  black  mustache,  lightly  touched  with  gray, 
shaded  a  coarse,  rather  sinister  mouth,  from  the  corner 
of  which  protruded  an  unlighted  but  thoroughly-chewed 
cigar.  His  hair  and  eyebrows  were  thick  and  black. 
Thin  red  lines  formed  a  network  in  his  cheeks,  telling 
of  the  habits  that  had  put  them  there ;  on  his  forehead 
there  was  a  perpetual  scowl,  a  line  slashed  between  the 
eyes  as  if  laid  there  by  a  knife.  The  features  were  not 
irregular,  but  they  were  of  the  strength  that  denotes 
cultivated  weaknesses.  His  chin  was  square  and  strong, 

3 


34  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

heavily  stubblcd  with  a  two  days'  growth  of  beard. 
Eyes  that  were  black  and  sullen,  stood  well  out  in  their 
sockets  ;  the  lids  were  red  and  thick,  and  there  were  nar 
row  pouches  below  them ;  the  whites  were  bloodshot  and 
indefinite.  He  was  flashily  dressed  in  the  mode  of  the 
day,  typical  of  his  calling.  A  silk  hat  tilted  rakishly 
over  his  brow.  His  waistcoat  was  a  loud  brocade,  his 
necktie  a  single  black  band,  knotted  once.  There  was  a 
great  paste  diamond  in  his  soiled  shirt-front.  A  long 
checked  coat,  with  tails  and  sidepockets,  trousers  of 
the  same  material,  completed  his  ordinary  makeup.  To 
night,  on  account  of  the  rain,  he  wore  high  gum  boots 
outside  of  the  trouser-legs. 

You  could  hardly  have  mistaken  his  calling  in  those 
days,  unless  you  might  have  suspected  him  of  being  a 
gambler.  In  which  you  would  not  have  been  wrong. 

The  line  between  his  eyes  seemed  to  deepen  as  he 
turned  from  the  group  to  join  his  wife  in  the  "  green 
room  "  of  the  tent.  As  the  flap  dropped  behind  him, 
Grinaldi  turned  to  the  boy,  who  had  started  to  unlace 
the  striped  overshirt. 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  he  said  quickly.  "  Mebbe  we  can 
fix  it  with  'im.  She  '11  put  in  a  plea  for  you  and  so  will 
Little  Starbright,  —  that 's  what  'is  daughter  is  called 
on  the  bills  —  if  she  gets  a  chance.  Stay  right  'ere, 
youngster.  I  've  got  to  go  in  for  my  girl's  act  now. 
I  wish  you  could  see  my  girl.  She  's  the  queen  of  the 
air,  and  don't  you  forget  it.  Ain't  she,  boys?  " 

There  was  a  combined  —  apparently  customary  — 
chorus  of  approval. 

Outside,  Braddock  was  glowering  upon  his  wife,  who 
faced  him  resolutely.  There  never  had  been  a  time  when 
she  was  afraid  of  this  man ;  even  though  he  had  mis 
treated  her  shamefully,  he  had  never  found  the  cour 
age  to  exercise  his  physical  supremacy.  As  so  often  is 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  35 

the  case  —  almost  invariably,  it  may  be  affirmed  —  with 
men  of  his  type  and  origin,  Braddock  recognized  and 
respected  the  qualities  that  put  her  so  far  above  him. 
Not  that  he  admitted  them,  even  to  himself:  that  would 
have  been  fatal  to  his  own  sense  of  justice.  He  merely 
felt  them ;  he  could  not  evade  the  conditions  for  the 
reason  that  he  was  powerless  to  analyze  the  force  which 
produced  them.  He  only  knew  that  somehow  he  merited 
the  scorn  in  which  she  held  him.  There  were  times  when 
he  hated  her  for  the  very  beauty  of  her  character.  Then 
he  cursed  her  in  bleak,  despairing  rage,  more  against 
himself  than  against  heu;  but  never  without  afterward 
cringing  in  morbid  contemplation  of  the  shudder  it 
brought  to  her  sensitive  face. 

If  any  one  had  been  so  bold  as  to  accuse  him  of  not 
loving  her,  he  would  have  been  crushed  to  earth  by  the 
brute  that  was  in  him.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he  were 
timorously  charged  with  loving  her,  it  would  have  been 
like  him  to  call  the  venturesome  one  a  liar  —  and  mean 
it,  too,  in  his  heart. 

"  But  five  hundred  is  five  hundred,"  he  was  repeating 
doggedly  in  opposition  to  her  argument  in  behalf  of 
the  boy.  "  You  don't  know  whether  he 's  guilty  or  not, 
Mary.  So  what 's  the  use  of  all  this  gabble?  It  makes 
me  sick.  Business  is  bad.  We  need  every  dollar  we  can 
jscrape  up.  I  won't  be  a  party  to  —  " 

"  You  harbor  pickpockets  and  thieves  and  —  yes, 
murderers,  I  'm  told,  Tom.  It  is  a  shameful  fact  that 
more  sneak  thieves  follow  this  show  and  share  with  its 
owner  than  any  other  concern  in  the  business.  Oh,  I 
know  all  about  it !  Don't  try  to  deny  it.  They  pay  a 
regular  tribute  to  you  for  privileges  and  protection. 
Artful  Dick  Cronk  gave  you  half  of  the  hundred  he 
filched  from  the  old  man  at  Charlottesville  last  week. 
I  —  " 


36  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Here,  here ! "  he  said  in  an  angry  whisper. 
"  Don't  talk  so  damned  loud.  Next  thing  you  '11  be 
telling  that  sort  of  stuff  to  the  girl.  That  'd  be  a  nice 
thing  for  her  to  think,  would  n't  it?  Say,  don't  you 
ever  let  me  hear  of  you  breathin'  a  word  of  that  kind 
to  her.  I  'd  —  I  'd  beat  your  brains  out.  Under 
stand?  " 

"  Oh,  I  'm  not  likely  to  tell  her  what  kind  of  a  man 
her  father  is,"  said  his  wife  bitterly.  "  Take  care, 
Tom,  that  she  does  n't  find  it  out  for  herself.  Be  quiet ! 
She  is  coming." 

The  girl,  cleansed  of  her  paint  and  powder,  her  lithe 
body  clad  in  a  prim,  navy  blue  frock,  the  skirt  of  which 
came  below  the  tops  of  her  high-laced  boots,  approached 
hastily  from  the  women's  section.  She  was  tying  the 
strings  of  her  quaint  poke-bonnet  under  her  chin,  and 
her  eyes  were  gleaming  with  excitement. 

"  Where  is  that  boy  ?  "  she  asked,  looking  about  in 
some  anxiety.  "  Father,  you  should  see  him.  He  is 
so  different  from  the  boys  who  follow  — 

"We  were  just  talking  about  him,"  interrupted 
her  father  shortly.  "  He 's  wanted  by  the  police,  so 
you  see  he  ain't  so  different  from  the  rest  after  all. 
He  's  a  —  " 

"  Don't,  Tom,"  cried  his  wife. 

"  —  a  murderer,"  completed  Braddock,  rolling  his 
cigar  from  one  side  of  his  mouth  to  the  other. 

The  girl  stared  at  him  for  a  moment,  dumbly,  un- 
comprehendingly.  Her  lips  parted  and  her  eyes  grew 
very  wide. 

"  Oh,  father,"  she  cried,  in  low,  hushed  tones.  Then 
she  turned  to  her  mother,  almost  imploringly.  "  Is  — 
is  it  true,  mother?  " 

"  Well,  see  here,"  broke  in  Braddock  angrily. 
Don't  you  believe  me?  Have  n't  I  said  so?  " 


(. 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  37 

"  He  is  the  Jenison  boy  we  were  talking  about  last 
night,  dearie,"  said  Mrs.  Braddock.  "  I  don't  believe 
he  committed  that  horrid  crime.  I  can't  believe  it." 

"  I  am  sure  he  did  n't  —  I  am  sure  he  did  n't,"  cried 
the  girl  impulsively.  "  He  is  a  gentleman,  father.  He 
could  n't  —  " 

Braddock  took  instant  offense.  He  hated  to  hear 
any  one  spoken  of  as  a  gentleman. 

"  What 's  that  got  to  do  with  it  ?  "  he  demanded. 
"  Gentleman,  eh?  You  two  seem  to  think  that  these 
pretty  gentlemen  can't  do  anything  wrong.  Why, 
they  're  rottener  than  nine-tenths  of  the  blokes  that  fol 
low  this  show  —  every  mother's  son  of  'em.  I  'm  sick 
of  having  this  gentleman  business  thrown  up  to  me. 
That 's  all  you  two  talk  about.  I  suppose  you  think 
you  're  better  than  the  company  you  live  with.  Let  me 
tell  you  this,  you  're  show  people  and  nothin'  more.  I 
don't  give  a  damn  who  your  people  are ;  you  're  my  wife 
and  my  daughter,  and  that 's  all  there  is  to  it.  I  won't 
stand  this  sort  of  —  " 

"  Tom,  you  must  keep  still,"  said  his  wife  firmly.  He 
was  intoxicated;  she  knew  better  than  to  argue  with 
him,  or  to  agree  with  him.  "  All  this  has  nothing  to 
do  with  the  boy.  We  must  give  him  a  chance,  the  same 
as  —  you  understand?  " 

He  glared  at  her  warningly. 

"  I  don't  protect  thieves  and  murderers,"  he  said 
quickly. 

Then  he  whirled  about  and  snatched  aside  the  flap, 
calling  to  the  group  of  acrobats. 

"  Come  out  here,  you !  Step  lively.  I  want  to  ask 
a  few  questions.  Where  the  dev —  Say,  have  n't  you 
got  out  of  that  suit  yet?  Why,  you  little  scuttle, 
I  '11  rip  it  off  your  back  if  you  're  not  out  of  it  in  two 
minutes.  Hold  on!  Come  out  here  first." 


38  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

As  Jenison  walked  past  him  the  proprietor  gave 
him  a  violent  cuff  on  the  side  of  the  head.  The  boy, 
weak  and  faint,  reeled  away  and  would  have  fallen  but 
for  the  tent  pole  which  he  managed  to  clutch.  His 
face  was  convulsed  by  sudden  rage.  Even  while  his 
head  swam,  he  pulled  himself  together  for  a  leap  at  the 
man  who  had  struck  the  wanton,  unexpected  blow. 

Braddock  was  huge  enough  and  strong  enough  to 
crush  the  infuriated  lad,  but  drink  had  made  him  a 
coward  at  heart.  He  stooped  over  and  picked  up 
an  iron-ringed  stake  from  the  ground. 

With  a  little  cry  of  terror  his  daughter,  recovering 
from  her  sudden  stupefaction,  sprang  forward  and 
frantically  clutched  the  man's  arm.  Her  mother  was 
no  less  active  in  putting  herself  in  front  of  the  boy, 
staying  him  with  resolute  hands.  The  performers  who 
had  followed  David  from  the  room  leaped  in  with 
clenched  fists,  glaring  hatefully  at  their  employer. 
Others,  in  remote  parts  of  the  enclosure,  hurried  up, 
aroused  from  drowsy  meditation  by  the  sharp 
excitement. 

"  Don't,  father !  "  cried  the  girl  in  the  agony  of 
dread. 

"  Damn  him,  he  may  have  a  gun,"  exclaimed  Brad- 
dock.  "  He  's  used  one  before." 

"  Why  did  you  strike  me  ?  "  cried  David  hoarsely, 
his  lips  twitching,  his  eyes  glowing  like  coals. 

"  Aw,  none  o'  that,  now,  none  o'  that,"  snarled 
Braddock,  taking  a  step  forward. 

"Why  did  you  strike  me?  "    repeated  the  boy  dully. 

"  Calm  yourself,  my  boy,"  Mrs.  Braddock  kept  re 
peating  insistently,  without  raising  her  voice,  always 
low,  tense,  impelling. 

The  tears  sprang  to  his  eyes  —  tears  of  rage  and 
helplessness.  With  a  sob  he  turned  away  and  leaned  his 
head  against  the  pole. 


IN    THE    DRESSING-TENT  39 

"  Poor  boy,"   she  whispered. 

"  Don't  you  call  me  a  brute,  Casey,"  roared  Brad- 
dock,  turning  upon  the  contortionist  in  a  fury.  Casey 
had  not  uttered  a  word,  but  Braddock  instinctively  an 
ticipated  the  charge.  The  contortionist  was  afraid  of 
him.  He  drew  back  with  a  scared  look  in  his  eyes. 

Mrs.  Braddock  was  speaking  quietly,  compassion 
ately  to  the  suffering  boy.  "  We  must  be  careful," 
she  said,  "  not  to  oppose  him  too  strongly.  Those 
men  are  out  in  front.  He  will  turn  you  over  to  them 
if  you  resort  to  violence.  Calm  yourself,  do.  There  is 
still  the  chance  that  he  may  change  his  mind.  He  is 
not  really  heartless.  It  is  only  his  way." 

"  Why  did  he  strike  me  ?  "  again  fell  from  the  lips 
of  the  fugitive. 

At  this  moment  Grinaldi  came  hurrying  in  from  the 
ring.  He  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance.  Behind 
him,  peering  over  his  shoulder,  was  a  black-haired 
young  woman  in  pink  tights  and  spangled  trunks. 

David  was  afterward  to  know  this  handsome,  black- 
haired  girl  as  Ruby  Noakes,  the  daughter  of  Grinaldi, 
otherwise  Joey  Noakes,  and  known  to  the  gaping 
world  as  Mademoiselle  Roxane,  the  Flying  Queen  of 
the  Air. 


CHAPTER    III 

DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST    RING 

BRADDOCK  saw  at  once  that  the  old  clown  was  against 
him.  With  an  ugly  imprecation  he  directed  one  of 
the  attendants  to  go  to  the  main  entrance  with  instruc 
tions  to  bring  Mr.  Blake  and  his  friend  back  to  the 
dressing-tent. 

"  We  '11  see  who  's  running  this  show,"  he  declared, 
taking  a  fresh  grip  on  the  stake,  and  rolling  the  dan 
gling  cigar  over  and  over  between  his  teeth. 

"  Hold  on,  Camp,"  said  Grinaldi,  checking  the  at 
tendant  with  a  gesture.  "  See  'ere,  Tom,"  he  went  on 
earnestly,  "  wot 's  the  reason  you  won't  give  this  one 
an  even  chance  with  the  others  ?  " 

"  Stand  aside,  Christie,"  Braddock  said  to  his  trem 
bling  daughter.  "  Don't  get  in  the  way.  Oh,  I  'm  not 
going  to  smash  the  cub,  so  don't  worry.  Here!  Come 
away  from  him,  I  say.  Both  of  you.  I  won't  stand  for 
any  petting  of  a  rascal  like  him.  Well,  I  '11  tell  you, 
Joey  Noakes,"  he  went  on,  turning  to  the  clown,  "  I 
don't  mind  saying  I  need  the  money.  This  kid  's  going 
to  be  caught  by  somebody  before  long,  and  the  man 
that  does  it  gets  five  hundred.  It  might  as  well  be  me. 
Business  is  business,  and  just  now  business  is  bad. 
You  people  all  know  what  this  infernal  weather  has 
done  for  us.  We  have  n't  had  a  paying  day  since  we 
opened,  and  here  it  is  the  middle  of  May  —  nearly  six 
weeks,  that 's  what  it  is.  There  's  a  lousy  three  hun 
dred  dollars  in  the  big  top  to-night  and  half  as  much 
this  afternoon.  I  tell  you  if  these  rains  keep  up  I  '11 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST   RING    41 

have  to  close.  It  takes  more  than  five  hundred  dollars 
a  day  to  run  this  show.  I  owe  back  salaries  —  all  of 
you  have  got  something  coming  to  you.  Five  hundred 
dollars  velvet,  that 's  what  this  boy  means  to  me  —  not 
for  myself,  mind  you,  but  for  the  treasury.  That 's 
why  I  'm  going  to  turn  him  over,  if  you  want  to 
know." 

"  But  he  ain't  guilty,"  said  Grinaldi  sharply. 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  snarled  Braddock.  "  Go 
and  do  what  I  told  you,"  to  the  wavering  attendant. 

Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  were  standing  beside 
the  dejected  boy,  the  former  looking  steadily  at  the 
face  of  her  husband,  whose  bloodshot  eyes  would  not 
meet  her  gaze.  Christine's  eyes  were  wide  with  the 
bewildered  stare  of  an  intelligence  that  has  suddenly 
been  aroused  to  new  aspects :  she  was  having  a  glimpse 
of  a  side  to  her  father's  character  that  had  never  been 
revealed  to  her  before. 

She  put  forth  a  hand  and  drew  Ruby  Noakes  close 
beside  her,  pressing  her  hand  tightly  in  actual  alarm. 
The  Noakes  girl's  arm  went  around  the  slender  figure, 
but  she  continued  to  stare  curiously  at  the  face  of 
the  stranger  in  their  midst.  She  was  half  a  head  taller 
than  Christine,  and  at  least  three  years  her  senior. 

"  We  ought  to  have  a  new  clown  to  help  out  dad, 
Mr.  Braddock,"  ventured  Miss  Noakes  coolly. 

Braddock  stared  at  her.  He  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
accepting  feminine  advice. 

"What's  that?"    he  barked. 

"  Keep  still,  Ruby,"  cautioned  her  father  nervously. 
Ruby's  lips  parted  quickly,  and  then,  thinking  better 
of  it,  she  closed  them. 

David's  face  took  on  a  queer,  uncertain  expression 
while  Braddock  was  advancing  his  dire  need  of  money 
as  an  excuse  for  turning  him  over.  The  proprietor 


42  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

resumed  his  bitter  harangue  against  the  weather, 
prophesying  bankruptcy  and  sheriff's  sales.  The 
boy's  face  began  to  clear.  An  eager,  excited  gleam 
came  into  his  eyes.  He  looked  about  him  as  if  search 
ing  for  some  sign  of  corroboration  in  the  faces  of  the 
performers.  A  certain  evidence  of  dejection  had  crept 
into  more  than  one  countenance.  It  began  to  dawn  on 
him  that  the  man  was  more  or  less  sincere  in  his  argu 
ment  ;  even  the  words  of  others,  in  conflict  with  his  pur 
pose,  served  to  convince  him  that  the  money  was 
needed,  very  seriously  needed. 

"  If  he  's  innocent,  he  can  prove  it,"  argued  Brad- 
dock  stubbornly.  "  The  county  pays  the  five  hundred. 
It 's  nothing  out  of  his  pocket.  Why  the  devil 
shouldn't  I  get  it?" 

David  had  opened  his  lips  two  or  three  times  to  utter 
the  words  that  surged  up  from  his  anxious,  despair 
ing  heart.  A  sense  of  guilt  and  shame  had  checked 
them  on  each  occasion.  Whatever  it  was  that  he  felt 
impelled  to  say,  his  honest  pride  rebelled  against  the 
impulse. 

Now  he  lifted  his  head  resolutely,  and  addressed  the 
proprietor,  whose  stand  appeared  to  be  immovable. 

"  I  will  pay  you  the  five  hundred  dollars,"  said 
David  clearly. 

Every  eye  was  turned  upon  him,  every  tongue  was 
stilled.  The  tumblers  who  had  started  for  the  ring 
stopped  in  their  tracks  to  gaze  in  open-mouthed  won 
der  at  the  straight,  grotesque  figure  that  faced 
Braddock. 

The  proprietor  blinked  unbelievingly.  Then  he  gave 
vent  to  a  short,  derisive  laugh. 

"You  will,  will  you?" 

David  felt  a  hot  wave  of  blood  rush  to  his  head. 
His  offer  had  met  with  the  rebuke  it  deserved ! 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST    RING    48 

"  I  thought  that  if  it  was  only  the  money,  I  could  let 
you  have  it.  I  did  n't  mean  to  try  to  buy  you  off,"  he 
explained  hastily. 

"Are  you  in  earnest?"  demanded  Braddock,  de 
positing  the  stake  on  the  ground,  a  curious  glitter 
swimming  across  his  eyes. 

"  About  the  money  ?  " 

"  Certainly.     Where  are  you  going  to  get  it?  " 

"  I  've  got  it  with  me,"  said  David,  feeling  at  his  side. 
A  look  of  dismay  spread  over  his  face.  It  was 
quickly  dispelled  by  the  recollection  that  his  own 
clothes  were  lying  in  the  men's  dressing-room.  "  It 's 
in  my  vest." 

No  one  thought  to  oppose  him  as  he  passed  hastily 
under  the  flap.  He  was  back  in  a  moment,  carrying  his 
rain-soaked  waistcoat.  With  nervous  fingers  he  drew 
a  heavy  pin  from  the  mouth  of  the  inside  pocket,  and 
extracted  a  long  leather  purse  therefrom.  It  was  tied 
up  with  a  heavy  piece  of  string. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  've  got  five  hun 
dred  dollars  in  there?  "  demanded  Braddock  incred 
ulously. 

David  felt  without  seeing  the  look  that  went  through 
the  crowd.  He  knew,  by  some  strange  mental  process, 
that  they  were  condemning  him,  that  they  were  draw 
ing  away  from  him.  He  was  bewildered.  Then  sud 
denly  he  understood.  It  came  like  a  blow.  Something 
rushed  up  into  his  throat  and  choked  him. 

They  took  this  money  to  be  the  profits  of  murder! 
The  spoils  of  a  dreadful  sin! 

Speechless,  he  turned  to  Mrs.  Braddock.  There  was 
no  mistaking  the  look  of  pain  and  distress  in  her  dark 
eyes.  There  were  doubt  and  wonder  there,  too.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  she  shrank  back  a  step;  although, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  she  remained  as  motionless  as  a 


44  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

statue.  Christine  was  glowing  upon  him  in  grateful 
amazement,  unutterable  relief  in  her  gaze.  To  her,  it 
meant  only  that  he  was  rich  and  could  save  himself. 
It  did  not  occur  to  her  that  he  had  come  by  the  riches 
dishonestly,  nor  was  she  at  once  conscious  of  a  feeling 
that  her  father  would  do  wrong  to  accept  the  tribute. 
It  was  not  until  later  that  she  felt  the  shock  of 
revulsion. 

"  It  is  my  money !  "  cried  David,  speaking  to  Mrs. 
Braddock.  "  Every  cent  of  it !  I  —  I  know  what  you 
are  thinking.  You  think  I  stole  it."  His  eyes  were 
flashing  and  his  chin  was  held  high  now.  "  I  '11  kill 
any  one  who  says  I  steal.  I  'd  sooner  commit  murder  a 
thousand  times  than  to  steal." 

"  How  did  you  —  come  by  all  that  money  ?  "  asked 
Mrs,  Braddock,  more  than  half  convinced  by  his 
fervor. 

"That's  what  I'd  like  to  know,"  added  her  hus 
band.  "  Here !  Lemme  take  that  pocket-book." 

David  jerked  his  hand  loose  and  abruptly  thrust  the 
purse  into  the  hand  of  the  astonished  Mrs.  Braddock. 

"  Look  at  it,"  he  cried  passionately.  "  Open  the 
purse.  It's  still  in  the  sealed  envelope,  just  as  my 
father  left  it  when  he  went  off  to  the  war  the  second 
time  —  after  he  was  wounded.  He  left  it  with  my 
mother  for  me.  No  one  has  ever  opened  the  package. 
It  was  in  my  mother's  trunk  until  she  died.  She 
would  n't  put  it  in  a  bank.  My  uncle  Frank  never 
knew  that  she  had  it ;  he  does  n't  know  that  I  have  it 
now.  But  it  is  mine.  My  father  gave  it  to  me  when 
I  was  six  years  old.  See  what  it  says  on  the  envelope. 
It 's  his  own  writing.  '  For  my  son  David.  To  be  used 
in  the  acquiring  of  an  education  if  I  should  fall  in  this 
dear,  beloved  cause,  which  now  seems  lost.  God  defend 
us  all!'  See!  'Arthur  Brodalbin  Jenison.'  My 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST    RING    45 

father's  signature.  Here  is  the  seal  of  his  ring.  It  is 
my  money." 

Even  Thomas  Braddock  was  swayed,  convinced  by 
the  eloquence  of  that  fierce  appeal.  He  stared  at  the 
boy,  his  lips  apart,  his  cigar  hanging  limply  from  one 
corner  of  his  mouth. 

"  By  thunder !  "  he  murmured,  frankly  surprised  in 
himself.  "  I  believe  the  tale,  hang  me  if  I  don't !  " 

But  David  was  waiting  only  for  the  verdict  of  the 
woman.  Mrs.  Braddock  had  not  glanced  at  the  envel 
ope  that  she  now  clutched  in  her  tense  fingers ;  her 
eyes  were  only  for  the  eager,  chalk-colored  face  of  the 
boy.  Tears  welled  up  in  her  warm  eyes  as  he  paused 
for  breath. 

"  I  believe  you,  too  —  yes,  yes,  my  boy,  we  all  be 
lieve  you,"  she  cried,  putting  out  her  hand  to  him.  He 
snatched  it  up  and  kissed  it. 

At  that  instant  the  ringmaster,  white  with  rage, 
dashed  in  from  the  big  tent. 

"  Say,  what 's  the  matter  with  you  loafers?  " 

The  crowd  of  tumblers  jumped  out  of  the  trance  as 
if  shot. 

"  The  show  's  been  held  up  for  ten  minutes !  Get  in 
there  all  of  you !  "  Here  followed  a  violent  explosion 
of  appropriate  profanity.  "  The  audience  is  gettin' 
wild.  They  '11  be  wantin'  their  money  back  unless  the 
performance  goes  on  purty  blamed  —  " 

Braddock  reached  the  man's  side  in  three  steps. 
He  delivered  a  resounding  slap  on  the  ringmaster's 
cheek,  almost  knocking  him  down.  The  tall  hat  went 
spinning  away  on  the  ground.  Tears  of  pain  and 
terror  flew  to  the  fellow's  eyes.  He  began  to  blubber. 

"  Don't  you  swear  in  the  presence  of  my  wife  and 

daughter, you !  "  snarled  Braddock,  his  own 

blasphemy  ten  times  as  venomous  as  the  other's. 


46  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"I  —  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mrs.  Braddock,"  stam 
mered  the  ringmaster  in  great  haste.  If  the  gaping,  re 
spectful  hundreds  could  see  the  despot  of  the  ring  now ! 

Braddock's  daughter  uttered  a  low  moan  of  horror 
and  amazement.  Her  heart  swelled  with  pity  for  the 
poor  wretch  who  dared  not  to  defend  himself.  Ruby 
Noakes  felt  the  quiver  that  ran  through  the  girl's  body. 
She  promptly  led  her  away  from  the  spot. 

"  Come  with  me  while  I  change,"   she  said  quickly. 

Together  they  passed  into  the  women's  dressing- 
room.  Christine's  look  of  mute  surprise  and  shame 
rested  on  David's  face  as  the  flap  dropped  behind  her. 

A  minute  later,  the  humiliated  ringmaster,  Briggs 
by  name,  was  cracking  his  whip  in  the  middle  of  the 
ring,  mighty  lord  of  all  he  surveyed,  although,  to 
his  chagrin,  there  was  no  clown  present  to  receive  the 
attention.  In  those  good  old  days  the  circus  carried 
but  one  clown.  He  was  the  most  overworked  man  in 
the  ring,  but  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
he  was  the  solitary  idol  of  thousands. 

Grinaldi  did  not  accompany  the  tumblers  to  the  ring. 
The  lone  elephant  that  graced  the  show  and  the  horses 
had  been  led  out  for  the  "  lofty  somersault  men  "  to 
vault  over  after  the  run  down  the  "  spring  board  " ; 
that  part  of  the  dressing-tent  in  which  Braddock  stood 
was  now  clear  of  humanity,  except  for  his  wife,  the 
clown  and  David  Jenison. 

"  Well,  he  knows  I  don't  permit  swearing  in  front 
of  my  daughter,"  said  Braddock,  resenting  the  un 
spoken  scorn  in  his  wife's  face.  "  Let 's  see  that  envel 
ope,"  he  added  roughly. 

She  held  the  coveted  package  behind  her  back,  shak 
ing  her  head  resolutely. 

"  How  do  I  know  there  's  five  hundred  in  it  ?  "  he  de 
manded. 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST   RING    47 

"  There  's  more  than  that,"  said  David  nervously. 

"  How  do  you  know?     It 's  never  been  opened." 

Mrs.  Braddock  glanced  at  the  writing  on  the  face 
of  the  staunch,  yellow  envelope.  She  started  violently. 
In  plain  figures,  in  one  corner,  she  saw  :  "$3,000."  .She 
realized,  with  a  flash  of  shame,  that  it  would  be  fatal 
to  the  boy's  interests  if  her  husband  should  come  to 
know  of  the  actual  value  of  the  package.  She  opened 
her  lips  to  utter  a  word  of  caution  to  David,  but  he  was 
too  eager  and  too  quick  for  her. 

"  There  's  three  thousand  dollars  in  it,"  he  said. 

Braddock  started.  For  the  first  time  he  removed  the 
chewed  cigar  from  his  lips,  all  the  while  fixedly  regard 
ing  the  youth  with  narrowing  eyes.  He  was  thinking 
fast  and  hard.  Three  thousand  dollars ! 

"  You  are  not  to  break  this  seal,  David  Jenison," 
said  Mrs.  Braddock  firmly,  her  face  very  white.  "  Take 
it  and  go.  It  is  your  money,  not  ours." 

"Hold  on  there,"  objected  her  husband.  His  be 
fuddled  brain  was  solving  a  certain  problem  to  his  own 
eminent  satisfaction.  "  These  officers  have  got  to  be 
convinced  that  you  are  not  with  this  show.  I  can't 
afford  to  lie  to  'em.  There  's  only  one  way  out  of  it. 
I  can  hire  you  under  another  name  and  you  can  travel 
with  us  till  we  get  out  of  this  part  of  the  country.  Five 
hundred  is  the  reward.  If  I  get  it  from  you,  most  of 
it  can  be  paid  back  in  wages.  If  I  turn  you  over  to 
them  and  take  their  coin,  I  'd  be  doing  the  best  thing 
for  myself,  but  I  'm  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  —  " 

"  Thomas  Braddock,  you  are  not  to  take  this  boy's 
money,"  cried  his  wife.  "  It  would  be  infamous !  " 

"  Now,  you  keep  out  of  this,"  he  growled,  fearful 
for  his  plans.  "  It 's  one  or  the  other,  Mary.  Either 
he  antes  up  or  they  do." 

"I  will  not  allow  it!" 


48  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

David  broke  in,  with  a  rare  show  of  dignity.  "  I 
said  I  would  pay  it,  Mrs.  Braddock.  I  can't  break  my 
word.  If  Mr.  Braddock  will  send  them  away,  I  will 
pay  the  amount  they  offer." 

"  Give  him  the  envelope,  Mary,"  commanded 
Braddock. 

She  looked  about  her  as  if  seeking  means  of  escape 
with  the  precious  package.  Then,  with  a  deep  sigh, 
and  a  look  of  unutterable  scorn  for  the  man,  she  handed 
the  envelope  to  David. 

He  broke  the  seal. 

"  Maybe  it 's  Confederate  money,"  said  Braddock,  a 
sudden  chill  in  his  heart.  But  it  was  not  Confederate 
money.  There  was  exposed  to  view  a  neat  package  of 
United  States  treasury  notes  of  large  denomination, 
brand-new  and  uncrumpled,  just  as  they  had  come  from 
the  treasury  department. 

Without  hesitation,  young  Jenison  counted  off  five 
hundred  dollars.  Mrs.  Braddock  closed  her  eyes  in 
pain  as  he  laid  the  notes  in  her  husband's  hand.  Gri- 
naldi  turned  away,  suppressing  the  bitter  imprecation 
that  rose  to  his  lips. 

"  I  '11  tell  those  scoundrels  that  you  have  n't  been 
near  the  show."  He  did  not  count  the  money.  He  had 
counted  it  with  greedy  eyes  as  David  told  off  the  bills 
in  his  nervous,  clumsy  fingers.  "  Now,  you  lay  low. 
Stick  close  to  me.  Don't  let  anybody  sec  much  of  you 
till  we  're  over  in  Ohio.  I  '11  guarantee  to  get  you  off 
safe.  Don't  you  worry.  Just  lay  low.  I  '11  find  work 
for  you  to  do.  We  're  headed  for  Indiana  and  Illinois. 
They  '11  never  get  you  out  there.  By  thunder !  I  've 
got  an  idea,  Joey,  that  girl  of  yours  is  right.  You  do 
need  a  bit  of  help.  We  '11  make  a  clown  of  him.  We  '11 
have  two  clowns.  How  is  that,  Mary?  " 

She  did  not  reply.     He  looked  away  hastily. 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST   RING    49 

"  I  could  n't  be  a  clown,"  began  David  in  conster 
nation. 

"  Sure  you  can,"  interrupted  the  boss.  "  It 's  as  easy 
as  fallin'  off  a  log.  Joey  can  tell  you  all  the  tricks. 
He  's  the  best  in  the  world,  Joey  Grinaldi  is.  That 's 
what  I  've  got  him  for.  We  've  got  the  best  show  in  the 
world,  too.  Barnum  ain't  in  the  same  class  with  us. 
Forepaugh  and  Van  Amberg?  They  are  second  rate 
aggre  —  But,  say,  I  'd  better  go  out  and  steer  those 
fellows  away."  He  started  off,  but  stopped  suddenly 
as  if  struck  by  a  serious  doubt. 

"  Perhaps  you  'd  better  let  me  take  the  rest  of  that 
money  and  put  it  in  the  safe  in  the  ticket-wagon,"  he 
said  encouragingly.  "  It 's  likely  to  be  nipped  by  some 
of  these  crooks  that  follow  the  show.  'T  ain't  safe  with 
you,  let  me  tell  you  that." 

"  No !  "  cried  his  wife,  her  voice  shrill  with  decision. 

Braddock  did  not  insist.     He  was  too  wise  for  that. 

"  Well,  if  it 's  stolen,  don't  blame  me,"  he  said.  "  Re 
member,  I  told  you  so.  I  don't  give  a  damn  personally. 
It 's  your  money,  kid." 

"  I  reckon  I  '11  keep  it,"  said  David,  suddenly  acute. 
He  began  wrapping  the  string  around  the  broken  pack 
age,  which  he  had  kept  sacredly  inviolate  for  so  long. 
"  I  '11  stay  with  the  show  and  do  anything  I  can,  if 
you  '11  only  help  me  to  get  away.  I  —  I  don't  want  to 
be  taken  back  there.  Some  day,  I  expect  to  go  back, 
but  not  right  now.  I  'm  not  afraid.  But  I  can't  go 
back  until  I  've  found  the  man  that  knows" 

"  There  is  a  man  who  —  knows  ?  "  murmured  Mrs. 
Braddock. 

"  Yes.  I  must  find  him.  He  —  he  does  n't  want  to 
be  found.  That 's  why  it  is  going  to  be  so  hard.  But 
I  will  find  him !  "  His  eyes  were  flashing,  his  teeth  were 
set. 

4 


50  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  Braddock.  "  You  can 
throw  'em  off  the  track  for  awhile,  then  take  your  money 
and  go  to  New  York.  You  '11  find  him  there,  all  right. 
They  all  go  there." 

"  He  is  a  nigger,"  said  David. 

"  Umph !  "  grunted  Braddock.  "  That 's  bad.  You 
must  n't  expect  any  jury  in  Virginia  to  believe  a  nigger 
in  these  days." 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  will.  They  '11  have  to,"  declared  David 
firmly. 

"  Say,"  said  the  proprietor,  his  voice  sinking  to  tones 
of  caution.  He  addressed  the  three  of  them.  "  Better 
keep  this  quiet  about  the  five  hundred.  It  won't  help 
any  of  us  if  it  gets  out  that  you  've  been  bribing  me, 
boy.  I  '11  j  ust  say  that  I  refused  to  take  the  wad. 
That  will  go,  too.  Don't  let  anybody  know.  Under 
stand,  Mary  ?  "  He  looked  at  her  with  lowering  eyes. 

"  I  will  not  tell  Christine,  Tom,"  she  said  evenly, 
meeting  the  look  with  a  gaze  so  steady  that  he  bristled 
for  a  moment,  but  gave  way  before  it.  He  felt  the 
scorn  and  laughed  shortly  in  his  attempt  to  convince 
himself,  at  least,  that  he  did  not  deserve  it. 

"And  just  to  show  you  that  I'm  honest  in  this 
business,"  he  went  on  hurriedly,  "  I  'm  going  to  begin 
by  paying  you  the  fifty  I  still  owe  on  your  salary,  Joey. 
That 's  the  kind  of  a  man  I  am.  I  do  what  I  say  I  '11 
do.  Here  's  your  fifty,  Joey." 

"  Not  that  kind  of  money  for  me,  thank  you,"  said 
Grinaldi,  with  a  scowl  that  brought  his  painted  eye 
brows  together.  He  turned  on  his  heel  and  hurried 
into  the  dressing-room,  unable  to  restrain  the  words 
that  would  have  cut  the  heart  of  the  man's  wife  to  shreds. 

An  attendant  came  in  from  the  circus  tent  just  as 
Christine  Braddock  emerged  from  the  dressing-room 
alone.  David  was  stuffing  the  purse  inside  the  loose 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST    RING    51 

shirt  that  he  wore.  The  girl  hurried  to  her  mother's 
side. 

"  Are  they  going  to  —  to  take  him  ?  "  she  whispered 
fearfully. 

David  saw  the  sweet,  clean  lips  tremble.  Her  eyes 
were  wide  and  dry  with  trouble.  Somehow  his  heart 
swelled  with  a  strange  new  emotion:  he  could  not  have 
ascribed  it  to  joy,  or  to  self-pity,  or  to  gratitude.  It 
was  something  new  and  pleasant  and  warm ;  a  glow,  a 
light,  an  uplifting.  This  sweet,  wonderfully  pretty  girl 
was  his  friend!  She  believed  in  him. 

"  No,  dear,"  replied  Mrs.  Braddock,  lowering  her 
eyes  in  sudden  humiliation. 

The  attendant  was  speaking.  "  Mr.  Braddock,  that 
feller  out  at  the  door  has  got  tired  waitin'.  He  says 
he  's  comin'  back  yere  to  see  you.  What  '11 1  say  to  'im? 
He 's  got  a  warrant  an'  he 's  got  some  of  the  town 
marshal's  men  with  'im  now." 

"  I  '11  go  out  and  see  him  right  away.  The  boy  ain't 
with  this  show." 

With  a  slow,  meaning  look  at  his  wife,  he  turned  to 
follow  the  man.  Over  his  shoulder  he  called  to  David : 

"  Go  in  there  with  Joey.  He  '11  tell  you  where  to 
hide  if  you  have  to.  Be  quick  about  it." 

He  was  gone.  The  tumblers  began  to  pour  in  from 
the  main  tent. 

Christine  clutched  her  mother's  arm  in  the  agony  of 
desperation. 

"  Did  —  did  he  take  the  money  from  —  him?  "  she 
demanded  tremulously. 

Mrs.  Braddock  looked  at  David,  an  abject  appeal 
in  her  eyes.  He  smiled  blandly  and  lied  nobly,  like  a 
true  Virginia  gentleman. 

"  No,  Miss  Braddock.  Instead  of  that,  he  has  hired 
me  to  go  with  the  show." 


52  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad,"  she  cried.  "  I  knew  he  would 
not  take  your  money." 

David  swallowed  hard;  and  then,  fearing  to  speak 
again  or  to  meet  her  radiant  eyes,  he  hastened  after 
Grinaldi. 

A  moment  later  he  was  in  the  center  of  an  excited, 
whispering  group  of  performers,  in  various  conditions 
of  attire,  but  singularly  alike  in  their  state  of  mind. 
They  were  softly  but  impressively  consigning  Thomas 
Braddock  to  the  most  remote  corner  in  purgatory. 
They  plied  David  with  questions.  He  reported  the  im 
patience  of  the  officers,  and  Braddock's  decision  to  pro 
tect  him  for  the  time  being. 

"  I  saw  them  chaps  out  there,  standin'  by  the  men 
agerie  doors,"  said  the  contortionist.  "  Spotted  'em 
right  away,  I  did." 

A  bareback  rider  looked  in.  His  horse  already  had 
started  for  the  ring. 

"  Lay  low !  "  he  whispered.  "  One  of  the  boys  says 
they  won't  be  put  off  by  Brad.  They  're  going  to 
search  the  tent  with  the  town  marshal." 

Grinaldi,  who  had  been  deep  in  thought,  suddenly 
slapped  his  knee  and  uttered  a  cackle  of  satisfaction. 

"  I  've  got  it !  We  '11  pull  the  wool  over  their  eyes, 
by  Jinks!  Follow  me,  boy,  and  do  just  wot  I  tells  you. 
I  'm  —  I  'm  going  to  take  you  into  the  ring  with  me. 
By  Jupiter,  they  won't  think  of  looking  for  you  there." 

Attended  by  a  chorus  of  approval,  he  shoved  the 
stupefied  David  out  before  him  and  hustled  him  across 
the  space  that  lay  between  them  and  the  main  top,  all 
the  while  whispering  eager  instructions  in  his  ear. 

"  You  just  follow  behind  me,  keeping  step  all  the  time 
—  about  three  steps  behind  me.  Don't  look  to  right 
or  left.  Keep  your  eyes  on  the  middle  of  my  back. 
Nobody  knows  you,  so  don't  go  into  a  funk,  my  lad. 


DAVID    ENTERS    THE    SAWDUST    RING    53 

It 's  life  or  death  for  you,  mebby.  I  '11  get  a  word  to 
Briggs,  the  ringmaster.  He  '11  help  you  out,  too.  Just 
follow  me  around  the  ring,  three  steps  behind.  Stop 
when  I  stop,  walk  when  I  do.  Look  silly,  that 's  all. 
I  '11  think  of  something  else  to  tell  you  to  do  after  we  're 
out  there.  And  we  'II  stay  out  there  till  the  show  's 
over." 

Trembling  in  every  joint,  David  paused  at  the  en 
trance.  Mrs.  Braddock  came  running  up  from  behind. 

"I've  just  heard,"  she  whispered.  "Do  as  Joey 
tells  you.  Don't  be  afraid." 

"  I  '11  try,"  chattered  David,  pathetic  figure  of 
Momus. 

"  Wait,"  she  whispered,  as  much  to  Joey  Grinaldi 
as  to  the  novice.  "  David,  will  you  trust  me  to  take 
care  of  your  money  until  to-morrow?  " 

Without  a  word  he  slipped  his  hand  into  his  shirt 
front  and  produced  the  flat  purse.  He  handed  it  to 
her. 

"  Good !  "  exclaimed  Joey  Grinaldi. 

The  next  instant  David  Jenison,  aristocrat,  was 
trudging  dizzily  toward  the  sawdust  ring,  his  heart 
beating  like  mad,  his  knees  trembling. 

Thomas  Braddock,  detaining  the  officers  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  ring,  saw  the  strange  figure  and  for  a 
moment  was  near  to  losing  his  composure.  Then  he 
grasped  the  situation  and  exulted.  He  boldly  escorted 
Blake  and  the  town  authorities  to  the  dressing-tent, 
where  he  assisted  in  the  search  and  the  questioning. 

Before  the  expiration  of  half  an  hour's  time  every 
man,  woman  and  child  connected  with  Van  Slye's  Great 
and  Only  Mammoth  Shows  knew  that  David  Jenison, 
the  murderer,  was  among  them  and  that  he  was  to  be 
protected.  The  word  went  slyly,  by  whisper,  from  ear 
to  ear,  down  to  the  lowliest  canvasman.  It  spread  to 


54  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

the  throng  of  crooks,  pickpockets  and  fakirs  that  fol 
lowed  the  show;  it  reached  to  the  freaks  in  the  side 
show.  And  not  one  among  them  all  would  have  be 
trayed  him  by  sign  or  deed.  They  stuck  together  like 
leeches,  these  good  and  bad  nomads,  and  they  asked 
few  questions.  And  so  it  was  that  David  Jenison  made 
his  first  appearance  as  a  clown  in  the  sawdust  ring. 


CHAPTER    IV 

A    STRANGER    APPEARS    ON    THE    SCENE 

AN  hour  after  the  conclusion  of  the  performance  David 
was  on  the  road  once  more;  not,  as  before,  afoot  and 
weary,  but  safely  ensconced  in  one  of  the  huge,  lumber 
ing  "  tableau  "  wagons  used  for  the  transportation  of 
canvas  and  perishable  properties.  The  boss  canvas- 
man,  not  the  hardened  brute  that  he  appeared  to  be, 
had  stored  him  away  in  the  damp  interior  of  the  pon 
derous  wagon,  first  providing  him  with  dry  blankets  on 
which  he  could  sleep  with  some  security  and  no  comfort. 
There  was  little  space  between  his  mountainous,  shifting 
bed  and  the  roof  of  the  van ;  and  there  would  have  been 
no  air  had  not  the  driver  of  the  four-horse  team 
obligingly  opened  a  narrow  window  beneath  the  seat 
on  which  he  rode. 

With  considerable  caution  the  fugitive  had  been 
smuggled  into  the  van,  under  the  very  noses  of  his  pur 
suers,  so  to  speak.  Somewhat  dazed  and  half  sick  with 
anxiety,  he  obeyed  every  instruction  of  his  friend  the 
clown. 

Blake  and  his  men  had  watched  the  tearing  down  of 
the  tent,  the  loading  of  the  entire  concern  and  its  subse 
quent  departure  down  the  night-shrouded  country  pike. 
That  Blake  was  not  fully  satisfied  with  the  story  told 
to  him  by  Thomas  Braddock,  and  somewhat  doubtfully 
supported  by  his  own  investigations,  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  he  decided  to  follow  the  show  until  he  was 
positively  assured  that  his  quarry  was  not  being  shielded 


56  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

by  the  circus  people.  With  no  little  astuteness  he  and 
his  companion  resolved  that  they  could  accomplish  noth 
ing  by  working  openly:  their  only  chance  lay  in  the 
ability  to  keep  the  circus  people  from  knowing  that 
they  were  following  them.  In  this  they  counted  without 
their  hosts.  At  no  time  during  the  next  three  days  were 
their  movements  unknown  to  the  clever  band  of  rascals 
who  followed  the  show  for  evil  purposes,  and  who,  with 
perfect  integrity,  kept  the  proprietor  advised  of  every 
step  taken  and  of  every  disguise  affected. 

Blake  was  not  the  first  nor  the  last  confident  officer 
of  the  law  to  more  than  meet  his  match  in  the  effort  to 
outwit  an  old-time  road  circus.  He  was  butting  his 
head  against  a  stone  wall.  Consummate  rascality  on  one 
hand,  unwavering  loyalty  on  the  other :  he  had  but  little 
chance  against  the  combination.  The  lowliest  peanut- 
vender  was  laughing  in  his  sleeve  at  the  sleuth ;  and  the 
lowliest  peanut-vender  kept  the  vigil  as  resolutely  as 
any  one  else. 

Despite  his  uncomfortable  position  and  the  natural 
thrills  of  excitement  and  peril,  David  was  sound  asleep 
before  the  wagon  was  fairly  under  way.  Complete  ex 
haustion  surmounted  all  other  conditions.  He  was 
vaguely  conscious  of  the  sombre  rumbling  of  the  huge 
wagon  and  of  the  regular  clicking  of  the  wheel-hubs, 
so  characteristic  of  the  circus  caravan  and  so  dear  to 
the  heart  of  every  boy.  His  bones  ached,  his  stomach 
was  crying  out  for  food,  and  his  body  was  chilled ;  but 
none  of  these  could  withstand  the  assault  of  slumber. 
He  would  have  slept  if  Blake's  hand  had  been  on  his 
shoulder. 

Out  into  the  country  rolled  the  big  wagon,  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  following  as  closely  as  possible 
the  flickering  rear  lantern  of  the  vehicle  ahead.  The 
rain  had  ceased  falling,  but  there  was  a  mist  in  the  air, 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE  57 

blown  from  the  trees  that  lined  the  road.  Those  of  the 
circus  men  who  were  compelled  to  ride  outside  the 
wagons  were  clothed  in  their  rubber  coats ;  their  more 
fortunate  companions  slept  under  cover  on  the  pole 
wagons,  on  top  of  the  seat  wagons,  or  in  stretchers 
swung  beneath  the  property  wagons  or  cages.  Others, 
still  more  fortunate,  slept  in  property  or  trunk  vans, 
or  in  the  band  chariots.  The  leading  performers  and 
officials,  including  all  of  the  women,  traveled  by  train. 
The  gamblers,  pickpockets  and  fakirs  got  along  as 
best  they  could  from  town  to  town  by  stealing  passage 
on  the  freight  trains.  Times  there  were,  however,  when 
the  entire  aggregation  traveled  with  the  caravan.  On 
such  occasions  the  luckless  roustabout  gave  up  his 
precarious  bedroom  to  the  "  ladies  "  and  sat  all  night 
in  dubious  solitude  atop  of  his  lodging  house.  These 
emergencies  were  infrequent:  they  arose  only  when 
railroad  facilities  were  not  to  be  had,  or  —  alas !  when 
the  exchequer  was  depleted. 

On  this  murky  night  the  performers  remained  over 

in  S ,  to  take  an  early  train  for  the  next  stand. 

The  railroad  show  was  then  an  untried  experiment. 
Barnum  and  Coup  and  others  were  planning  the  great 
innovation,  but  there  was  a  grave  question  as  to  its 
practicability.  Later  on  Coup  made  the  venture,  trans 
porting  his  show  by  rail.  Such  men  as  Yankee  Robin 
son,  Cole  and  even  P.  T.  Barnum  traveled  by  wagon 
road  until  that  brave  attempt  was  made.  The  railroad 
was  soon  to  solve  the  "  bad  roads  "  problem  for  all  of 
them.  Short  jumps  would  no  longer  be  necessary; 
profitable  cities  could  be  substituted  for  the  small  towns 
that  every  circus  had  to  make  on  account  of  the  dis 
tances  and  the  laborious  mode  of  transportation.  Still, 
if  you  were  to  chat  awhile  with  an  old-time  showman, 
you  would  soon  discover  that  the  "  road  circus  "  of  early 


58  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

days  was  the  real  one,  and  that  the  scientifically  handled 
concern  of  to-day  is  as  utterly  devoid  of  the  true  flavor 
as  the  night  is  without  sunshine. 

Three  times  during  the  long,  dark  hours  before  dawn 
the  chariot  was  stalled  in  the  mud  of  the  mountain 
road ;  as  many  times  it  was  moved  by  the  united  efforts 
of  five  or  six  teams  and  the  combined  blasphemy  of  a 
dozen  drivers.  Through  all  of  this,  David  slept  as  if 
drugged.  Daybreak  came;  the  ghostly  wagon  train 
slipped  from  darkness  into  the  misty  light  of  a  new 
"  day."  Cocks  were  crowing  afar  and  near,  and  birds 
were  chirping  in  the  bushes  at  the  roadside.  Out  of 
the  sombre,  crinkling  night  rolled  the  red,  and  white, 
and  golden  juggernauts,  gradually  taking  shape  in 
the  gray  dawn,  crawling  with  sardonic  indifference  past 
toll-gate  and  farmhouse,  creaking  and  groaning  and 
snapping  in  weird,  uncanny  chorus. 

Early  risers  were  up  to  see  the  "  circus  "  pass.  It 
was  something  of  an  epoch  in  the  lives  of  those  who 
dwelt  afar  from  the  madding  crowd. 

The  elephant,  the  cages  of  wild  beasts,  the  horses, 
the  towering  chariots,  the  amazing  pole  wagons  —  all 
slipped  down  the  road  and  over  the  hill,  strange,  un 
usual  objects  that  came  but  once  a  year  and  seemed 
to  leave  the  countryside  smaller  and  more  narrow  than 
it  had  been  before. 

Hunched-up  drivers,  sleepily  handling  a  half-dozen 
reins,  looked  neither  to  right  nor  left,  but  swore  me 
chanically  for  the  benefit  of  the  tired  horses,  and  with 
out  compunction  in  the  presence  of  roadside  spectators, 
male  or  female.  Wet,  sour,  unfriendly  minions  were 
they,  but  they  sent  up  no  lamentations ;  their  lives 
may  have  been  hard  and  unpromising,  but  lightly  in 
their  hearts  swam  the  blissful  conviction  that  they  were 
superior  to  the  envious  yokels  who  gaped  at  them  from 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          59 

fence  corners  and  barnyards  since  the  first  dreary 
streak  of  dawn  crept  into  the  skies.  A  shadowy,  un 
gainly,  mysterious  caravan  of  secrets,  cherished  but 
unblest,  it  straggled  through  the  dawn,  resolute  in  its 
promise  of  splendor  at  midday.  Wild  beasts  were 
abroad  in  the  land,  and  mighty  serpents,  too ;  but  they 
slept  and  were  scorned  by  the  men  who  slumbered  above 
or  below  them. 

The  country  people  looked  on  and  wondered,  and 
shuddered  at  the  thought  of  the  terrific  creatures  at 
their  very  door-yards.  Then  they  hitched  up  their 
teams  and  flocked  to  town  in  the  wake  of  the  peril,  there 
to  marvel  and  delight  in  the  very  things  that  had  awed 
them  in  their  own  province.  And  all  through  the  land 
people  locked  their  doors  and  put  away  their  treasures. 
The  circus  had  come  to  town ! 

It  was  eight  o'clock  before  David  was  routed  from 
his  strange  bed  by  the  boss  canvasman.  They  were  in 
a  new  town.  He  rubbed  his  eyes  as  he  stood  beside  the 
wagon  wheel  and  looked  upon  the  amazing  scene  before 
him.  Dozens  of  huge  wagons  were  spread  over  the 
show-grounds ;  a  multitude  of  men  and  horses  swarmed 
in  and  about  them ;  curious  crowds  of  early  risers 
stood  afar  off  and  gazed.  The  rhythmic  pounding  of 
iron  stakes,  driven  down  by  four  precise  sledge-men 
came  to  his  ears  from  all  sides;  the  jangling  of  trace- 
chains  ;  the  creaking  of  wagons  and  the  whine  of  pul 
leys.  Here,  there,  everywhere  were  signs  of  a  mighty 
activity,  systematic  in  its  every  phase.  Men  toiled 
and  swore  and  were  cursed  with  the  regularity  of  a 
single  well-balanced  mind.  Already  the  horse  tent 
and  the  cook  tent  were  up.  A  blacksmith  shop  was 
clanging  out  its  busy  greetings. 

For  a  moment  David  forgot  his  own  predicament. 
He  stared  in  utter  bewilderment,  vastly  interested  in 


60  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

the  great  transformation.  Under  his  very  eyes  a  city 
of  white  was  about  to  spring  into  existence. 

Some  one  touched  his  shoulder,  not  ungently.  He 
started  in  sudden  alarm.  A  rough-looking  fellow  in 
a  soiled  red  undershirt  was  standing  at  his  elbow. 

"  The  boss  says  you  'd  better  come  to  the  cook-top 
and  get  somethin'  to  eat,  young  feller."  That  was  all. 
He  jerked  his  head  in  the  direction  of  the  long,  low 
tent  in  the  corner  of  the  lot  and  started  off.  David 
followed,  sharply  conscious  of  a  revived  hunger. 

A  score  of  men  were  seated  at  the  long  tables,  gulp 
ing  hot  coffee  and  bolting  their  food.  From  the  kitchen 
beyond  came  the  crackling  of  fats,  the  odor  of  frying 
things  and  the  aroma  of  strong  coffee.  The  clatter  of 
tin  pans  and  cups,  the  rattle  of  pewter  knives  and  forks 
and  the  commands  of  hungry  men  to  the  surly  lads  who 
served  them  assailed  the  refined  ears  of  the  young  Vir 
ginian  as  he  stopped  irresolutely  at  the  mouth  of  the 
tent. 

"  Set  down  here,  kid,"  said  his  escort,  pointing  to 
a  place  on  the  plank,  stepping  over  it  himself  to  take 
his  seat  at  the  board.  If  the  stranger  expected  a 
greeting  or  comment  on  his  appearance  among  these 
men,  he  was  happily  disappointed.  They  looked  at  him 
with  sullen,  indifferent  eyes  and  went  on  bolting  the 
breakfast.  Some  of  them  were  half  naked;  all  of  them 
were  dirty  and  reeking  with  perspiration.  There  was 
no  effort  at  general  conversation.  David  had  the  feel 
ing  that  they  hated  each  other  and  were  ready  to  hurl 
things  at  the  slightest  provocation,  such  as  the  passing 
of  the  time  of  day. 

A  half-grown  boy  placed  a  huge  tin  cup  full  of  steam 
ing  coffee  on  to  the  table  and  said  in  a  husky,  consump 
tive  voice: 

"  'Ere  's  your  slop,  kid." 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          61 

Another  boy  jammed  a  panful  of  bacon  and  corn- 
bread  across  his  shoulder  and  advised  him  to  hurry  up 
and  "  grab  it,  you." 

David  ate  in  shocked  silence.  The  man  at  his  left 
laughed  at  his  genteel  use  of  the  knife  and  fork  and  the 
dainty  handling  of  the  bacon.  Sugar  and  cream  were 
not  served.  He  was  hungry.  The  coarse  but  well- 
cooked  food  pleased  his  palate  more  than  he  could  have 
believed.  He  ate  his  fill  of  the  "  chuck,"  as  his  neigh 
bor  called  it.  Then  he  was  hurried  back  to  the  wagon 
in  which  he  had  slept.  It  was  empty  now,  cavernous 
and  reeking  with  the  odor  of  damp  canvas  lately 
removed. 

"  Git  in  there,  kid,"  said  his  guide  briskly.  "  You 
gotta  keep  under  cover  fer  a  spell.  Stay  in  there  'tel 
Joey  Grinaldi  says  the  word.  Them 's  Braddock's 
orders." 

David  hesitated  a  moment.  "  Where  is  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock?  "  he  asked. 

"  Train  ain't  in  yet.  You  don't  suppose  the  high 
lights  travel  this  away,  do  you?  Well,  nix,  I  should  say 
not.  Say,  are  you  goin'  to  learn  the  business?  If 
you  are,  I  got  some  fish  worm  oil  that's  jest  the  thing 
to  limber  up  yer  joints.  In  two  weeks,  if  you  rub  this 
oil  of  mine  all  over  you  reg'lar,  you  c'n  bend  double 
three  ways."  It  was  an  old  game.  David  stared  but 
shook  his  head. 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  be  a  performer,"  he  said,  with  a 
wry  smile  at  the  thought  of  "  fishworm  oil." 

"  Well,  that  bein'  the  case,  have  you  got  any  chewin' 
about  yer  clothes  ?  " 

"  Chewing?  "  murmured  David. 

"  Fine  cut  er  plug,  I  don't  care." 

"  I  don't  chew  tobacco,"  said  David  stiffly. 

"  Oh,"   said  the   man  in  amaze.      "  A  reg'lar  little 


62  THE   ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Robert  Reed,  eh?  Well,  hop  inside  there.  I  gotta 
shut  the  door.  Don't  you  cry  if  it 's  dark,  kid." 

David  crawled  into  the  chariot  and  the  door  was  closed 
after  him.  A  thin  stream  of  daylight  came  down 
through  the  narrow  slit  beneath  the  driver's  seat.  For 
a  while  he  sat  with  his  back  against  the  wall,  pondering 
the  situation.  Then,  almost  without  warning,  sleep 
returned  to  claim  his  senses.  He  slipped  over  on  his 
side,  mechanically  stretched  out  his  legs  and  forgot 
his  doubts  and  troubles. 

He  was  aroused  by  the  jostling  and  bouncing  of  the 
huge,  empty  wagon.  With  a  start  of  alarm  he  leaped 
to  his  feet,  striking  his  head  against  the  roof  of  his 
abiding-place,  and  hurried  to  the  end  of  the  wagon  to 
peer  out  through  the  slit.  Bands  were  playing,  whips 
were  cracking  and  children  were  shrieking  joyously. 
It  was  a  long  time  before  he  grasped  the  situation. 
The  "  Grand  free  street  parade  "  was  in  progress ;  he 
was  riding,  like  a  caged  beast,  through  the  principal 
streets  of  the  town! 

From  the  security  of  his  position  he  could  look  out 
upon  the  throng  that  lined  the  sidewalks,  without  danger 
of  being  seen  in  return.  After  the  first  great  wave  of 
mortification  and  shame,  he  was  able  to  consider  his 
situation  to  be  quite  as  amusing  as  it  was  fortunate. 
He  found  himself  laughing  at  the  country  people  and 
their  scarcely  more  sophisticated  city  brethren  with 
something  of  the  worldly  scorn  that  dominated  the 
"  profession."  Even  the  horses  that  drew  the  "  Gor 
geous  chariots  of  gold  "  eyed  the  gaping  crowds  with 
profound  pity.  There  is  nothing  in  all  this  world  so 
incredibly  haughty  as  a  circus,  from  tent-peg  to  pro 
prietor.  Perhaps  you  who  read  this  have  felt  your  own 
insignificance  while  gazing  at  an  imperial  tent-peg  that 
happened  to  lie  in  your  path  as  you  wandered  about 


A    STRANGER   ON    THE    SCENE          63 

the  grounds ;  or  you  have  certainly  felt  mean  and  lowly 
in  the  presence  of  a  program-peddler,  and  positively 
servile  in  contact  with  a  boss  canvasman.  It  is  in  the 
air;  and  the  very  air  is  the  property  of  the  circus. 

In  time  the  twenty  wagons,  with  their  double  and 
quadruple  teams,  attended  fore  and  aft  by  cavaliers 
and  court-ladies,  papier  mache  grotesques,  trick  mules 
and  "  calico  ponies,"  came  once  more  to  the  grounds, 
still  pursued  by  the  excited  crowd.  Far  ahead  of  the 
parade  a  loud-voiced  "  barker  "  rode,  warning  all  people 
to  look  out  for  their  horses :  "  The  elephant  is  com 
ing  ! "  Just  to  show  their  utter  lack  of  poise,  at  least 
fifty  farm  nags,  in  super-equine  terror,  leaped  out  of 
their  harness  and  into  their  own  vehicles  when  "  Goli 
ath,"  the  decrepit  old  elephant,  shuffled  by,  too  tired 
to  lift  his  proboscis,  thus  exemplifying  the  vast  distinc 
tion  between  themselves  and  the  circus  horses  which 
only  noticed  Goliath  when  he  got  in  the  way. 

David  had  a  long  wait  in  the  dark,  stuffy  chariot. 
Finally  the  door  was  opened  and  Braddock  looked  in. 
Directly  behind  the  proprietor  was  the  dirty  sidewall 
of  a  tent.  David  blinked  afresh  in  the  light  of  day,  — 
although,  alas,  the  sun  was  not  shining. 

"  Hello,"  said  Braddock  shortly.  His  cigar  bobbed 
up  and  down  with  the  movement  of  his  lips.  "  Come 
out.  You  can  duck  under  the  canvas  right  here.  Lift 
it  up,  Bill." 

The  boy  slid  from  the  chariot  to  the  ground  and 
made  haste  to  pass  under  the  wall  which  had  been  raised 
by  a  canvasman.  Braddock  followed  him  into  the  huge 
tent.  A  small  army  of  men  were  erecting  the  seats  for 
the  afternoon  performance.  David  realized  that  he 
was  in  the  "  main  top." 

A  stocky,  bow-legged  man,  his  hands  in  his  pockets 
and  a  short  briar  pipe  in  his  lips,  advanced  to  meet 
them. 


64  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Well,  'ow  are  you  ?  "  asked  this  merry-eyed  stran 
ger,  his  face  going  into  a  hundred  wrinkles  by  way  of 
friendly  greeting.  "  Oh,  I  say,  David,  don't  you  know 
your  old  pal  and  playmate?  Hi,  there!  'Ere  we  are!  " 

David  stared  in  astonishment.  It  was  Grinaldi,  the 
clown,  without  his  make-up  or  his  wig!  Never  was  there 
such  a  change  in  human  face. 

They  clasped  hands,  David  laughing  outright  in 
the  ecstasy  of  relief  at  finding  this  whilom  friend. 

"  Keep  shady,  you,"  said  Braddock,  finding  no  pleas 
ure  in  the  boy's  change  of  manner.  "  Those  pinchers 
came  over  on  the  train  with  us.  And  say,  we  might 
just  as  well  settle  what 's  to  be  done  about  you.  I  've 
thought  it  over  seriously.  I  'm  taking  a  risk  in  havin' 
you  around,  understand  that.  But  if  you  want  a  job 
with  the  show,  I  '11  give  you  one.  Tell  you  what  I  '11 
do :  I  '11  give  you  two  and  a  half  a  week  and  your  board. 
That 's  good  pay  for  a  beginner.  You  to  do  clown 
work  and  —  " 

"  But  I  can't  be  a  clown  —  "  began  David. 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?"  roared  Braddock,  ap 
parently  aghast.  "  Do  you  expect  to  ride  around 
in  carriages  and  live  on  goose  liver?  Say,  where 
do  you  think  you  are?  In  society?  Well,  you  can 
get  that  out  of  your  head,  lemme  tell  you  that, 
you  —  " 

"  'Ere,  'ere,  Brad,"  put  in  Joey  sharply,  noting  the 
look  in  the  boy's  pale  face.  "  Don't  talk  like  that. 
'E  's  not  used  to  that  sort  o'  gaff.  Let  me  talk  it  over 
with  'im." 

"  Well,  the  offer  don't  stand  long.  He  either  takes 
it  or  he  don't.  If  he  don't,  out  he  goes.  Say,  you, 
where's  all  that  money  you  had  last  night?  I'm  not 
going  to  have  anybody  carryin'  a  wad  around  like  that 
arid  gettin'  it  nabbed  and  then  settin'  up  a  roar  against 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          65 

the  show,  gettin'  us  pulled  or  something  worse.  I 
insist  on  taking  care  of  that  stuff,  for  my  own  protec 
tion,  just  so  long  as  you  stay  with  this  show." 

David  looked  helplessly  to  Joey  Noakes  for  succor. 

"  I  '11  talk  that  over  with  'im,  too,  Brad,"  announced 
the  clown  briefly. 

"  And  let  me  add  something  else,"  resumed  Brad- 
dock,  with  an  unnecessary  oath.  "  I  'm  not  going  to 
have  you  hangin'  around  my  wife  and  daughter  if  you 
do  stay  with  us.  Remember  one  thing :  you  're  a  cheap 
clown,  and  you  've  got  to  know  your  place.  My  daugh 
ter  's  a  decent  girl.  She 's  got  good  blood  in  her, 
understand  that.  Damn'  fine  blood.  I  'm  not  going 
to  have  her  associatin'  with  a  —  " 

"  'Old  on,  Brad !  "  interrupted  the  old  clown,  glaring 
at  him.  "  Cheese  it,  will  you  ?  I  won't  stand  for  it. 
You  got  five  'undred  from  this  boy  and  you  ought  to 
treat  'im  decent.  He's  got  just  as  good  blood  in  'im 
as  Christie  's  got  —  and  better,  blow  me,  because  it 's 
probably  good  on  both  sides  —  which  is  more  than  you 
can  say  for  her,  poor  girl.  Thank  God,  she  don't  show 
that  she  's  got  your  blood  in  'er  veins." 

"  Here !  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate  that  she 's  not 
mine?  "  gasped  Braddock,  suddenly  a-tremble.  Much 
as  he  trusted  to  the  virtue  of  his  wife,  he  was  never  able 
to  comprehend  the  miracle  that  gave  him  Christine  for 
a  daughter.  There  was  no  trace  of  him  to  be  seen  in 
her. 

"  You  know  better  than  that,"  said  the  clown  coldly. 

"  Well,"  said  Braddock,  nervously  shifting  his  cigar 
and  lowering  his  gaze.  If  he  had  intended  to  say  more, 
he  changed  his  mind  and  walked  off  toward  the  center 
of  the  tent  where  men  were  throwing  up  a  circular  bank 
about  the  ring. 

"  He  's  a  drunken  dog,"  said  the  clown,  glaring  after 

5 


66  THE   ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

him.  "  She  's  the  finest  woman  in  the  world.  And  to 
think  of  'er  bein'  the  wife  of  that  bounder." 

David  had  been  thinking  of  it  and  puzzling  his  tired 
brain  for  hours. 

"  How  did  she  happen  to  marry  —  " 

"  No  time  for  that  now,"  said  Grinaldi  briskly. 
"  Mebby  I  '11  tell  you  about  her  some  other  time,  not 
now.  You  'd  better  keep  away  from  her  and  Christine 
for  a  couple  of  days.  Brad  will  forget  it  in  no  time, 
'specially  if  he  thinks  he  can  scrape  some  more  o'  that 
money  out  of  you.  Oh,  he  's  a  slick  one.  He 's  got 
'is  eye  on  that  wad.  Now,  let 's  get  down  to  business. 
I  advise  you  to  stick  to  the  show  for  awhile  —  at  least 
until  we  're  a  good  ways  off.  Take  up  'is  offer.  It 
ain't  bad.  You  can  'ave  chuck  with  me  and  Ruby. 
I  '11  look  out  for  that.  You  just  do  wot  I  tell  you,  and 
you  '11  be  a  clown.  Not  a  real  one,  but  good  enough  to 
earn  two  and  a  'arf.  I  'm  not  doin'  this  for  you,  my 
boy,  because  I  think  I  need  an  assistant.  Joey  Gri 
naldi  has  been  a  fav'rit  clown  in  two  hemispheres  for 
forty  years.  Some  day  I  '11  show  you  the  medals  I  got 
in  London  and  Paris  and  —  but  never  mind  now.  You 
start  right  in  this  afternoon,  doin'  just  wot  I  tells  you. 
You  '11  be  all  right  and  them  blokes  as  is  'untin'  for 
you  won't  be  able  to  twig  you  from  sole  leather.  Wot 
say?" 

"  I  '11  do  just  as  you  say,"  said  David  simply. 

"  Good !  Now  come  over  'ere  by  the  band  section 
and  I  '11  tell  how  we  '11  work  it  out.  Of  course,  we  '11 
improve  it  every  day.  All  you  needs  is  confidence.  We 
'ave  dinner  at  twelve-thirty  in  the  performer's  end  of  the 
cook-tent.  It 's  all  right  there.  I  '11  fetch  yours  into 
the  dressin'-tent  for  you,  so 's  you  won't  be  seen. 
There's  my  daughter  over  there.  Ain't  she  a  stunner? 
Say,  she  's  a  gal  as  is  a  gal.  Best  trapeze  worker  in 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          67 

the  business,  if  I  do  say  it  myself.  And  'er  mother  was 
the  best  columbine  that  ever  appeared  in  a  Drury  Lane 
pantomime,  poor  lass."  He  abruptly  passed  his  hand 
across  his  eyes. 

"  The  columbine? "  said  David,  his  eyes  beaming. 
"  I  remember  the  columbine  and  the  harlequin  and  the 
pantaloon  in  Drury  Lane  one  boxing  week  when  I  was 
in  London  with  my  grandfather.  Was  a  columbine 
really  your  wife?  " 

"  She  was,"  said  Joey  proudly.  "  But,"  he  added 
hastily,  "  it  ain't  likely  you  saw  her.  She  died  when 
Ruby  was  born." 

That  afternoon  David  appeared  in  the  ring,  once 
more  clad  in  the  striped  suit  and  besmeared  with  bis 
muth.  He  was  even  more  frightened  than  at  his  first 
appearance,  when  he  was  driven  by  another  fear.  Ruby 
Noakes,  black-eyed  and  dashing,  winked  at  him  saucily 
from  her  perch  on  the  high  trapeze,  having  caught 
his  eye.  When  she  slid  down  the  stout  lacing  and 
wafted  kisses  to  the  multitude,  he  was  near  enough  to 
catch  her  merry  undertone: 

"  You  have  no  idea  how  funny  you  are,"  she  said, 
passing  him  by  with  a  skip. 

"  There  's  your  friend,  the  detective,"  remarked  Joey, 
later  on,  jerking  his  head  in  the  direction  of  the  ani 
mal  tent.  Sure  enough,  Blake  was  standing  at  the  end 
of  the  tier  of  seats,  talking  with  Thomas  Braddock. 
"  But  he  does  n't  reckernize  you,  David,  so  don't  turn 
any  paler  than  you  are  already." 

The  new  clown,  wretchedly  unsuited  to  his  new  occu 
pation,  managed  to  get  through  the  performance  with 
out  mishap.  He  followed  instructions  blindly  but  faith 
fully,  barking  his  shins  twice  and  tripping  over  an 
equestrian  banner  once  with  almost  direful  results.  The 
audience  laughed  with  glee,  and  Grinaldi  congratulated 
him  on  the  hit  he  was  making. 


68  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

61  Hit?  "  moaned  David,  rubbing  his  elbow  in  earnest. 
"  Good  heaven !  Was  that  a  hit?  " 

"  My  boy,  they  'd  laugh  if  you  were  to  break  your 
neck,"  said  the  clown  gravely. 

Christine  Braddock  came  on  for  her  turn  early  in 
the  program.  David  was  told  that  her  mother,  who 
persistently  though  vainly  opposed  a  ring  career  for 
her  loved  one,  compromised  with  Braddock  on  the  con 
dition  that  she  was  to  appear  early  in  the  performance. 

"  Brad  was  a  circus  rider  in  his  younger  days,  before 
he  took  to  drink,"  explained  Joey,  as  he  and  David  sat 
together  at  the  edge  of  the  ring  while  Briggs,  the  ring 
master,  announced  the  approach  of  "  the  world-famed 
child  marvel,  Little  Starbright,  and  Monseer  Dupont, 
in  the  great-est  eques-trian  feats  evah  attempted  by 
mor-tal  crea-tuah !  " 

"  When  Christie  was  a  wee  bit  of  a  thing  he  took 
'er  into  the  ring  with  'im.  She  sat  on  'is  shoulder  and 
the  crowd  thought  it  wonnerful.  Arter  that  he  took 
'er  in  reg'lar.  Mrs.  Braddock  almos'  lost  'er  mind, 
but  Brad  coaxed  'er  into  seein'  it  'is  way.  It  was  before 
he  took  to  drinking  steady.  That  gal  'as  no  more  busi 
ness  being  a  circus  rider  than  nothink.  But  you  can't 
make  Brad  see  it  that  way  now.  He  says  she 's  got 
to  earn  'er  bread  and  keep,  and  that  she  's  no  better 
than  wot  'er  father  is.  If  circus  riding  is  good  enough 
for  'im,  it 's  good  enough  for  'is  offspring,  says  he. 
Her  mother  just  had  to  give  in  to  'im.  Well,  when  she 
was  about  ten,  Brad  took  to  drinking.  That  was  before 
he  bought  old  Van  Slye  out.  One  day  he  fell  off  the 
'oss  with  'er  and  broke  'is  arm.  Fort'nitly,  the  younker 
was  n't  'urt.  So,  then  he  had  sense  enough  to  listen  to 
'is  wife.  He  quit  riding  'isself,  but  he  put  big  Tom 
Sacks  into  the  act  in  'is  place.  Tom  is  the  present 
Mons.  Dupont  —  a  fine  feller  and  as  steady  as  can  be. 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          69 

He 's  powerful  strong  and  a  fairish  sort  of  rider  — 
but  nothink  like  wot  Brad  used  to  be  in  his  best  day. 
Christine  's  getting  a  bit  biggish  for  'im  to  'andle ;  I 
daresay  this  is  the  last  season  for  their  double  act.  But 
for  four  seasons  she 's  been  doing  amazing  fine  work 
with  old  Tom.  She  seems  to  like  it,  and  she  's  as  daring 
as  the  very  old  Nick.  Don't  know  wot  fear  is,  I  might 
say.  She  's  so  fairy-like  and  so  purty  that  the  crowds 
j  ust  naterally  love  'er  to  death.  She  's  going  to  be  a 
wonnerful  'ansome  woman,  David,  that  gal  is,  take  it 
from  me.  'Ere  she  is !  " 

"  She  's  like  a  rose,"  said  David,  following  the  slim, 
scarlet  creature  with  his  eyes. 

"  And  a  rose  she  is,  my  heartie,"  said  Joey.  "  When 
I  was  a  lad  at  'ome,  there  was  a  chap  named  Thackeray 
writing  wonderful  clever  tales.  I  remembers  one  of  them 
particular.  It  was  called  '  The  Rose  and  the  Ring.'  I 
never  see  Christine  in  them  togs  without  thinking  of 
the  name  of  that  book  —  The  Rose  and  the  Ring,  d'  ye 
get  my  idea?  Mr.  Thackeray  was  a  well-known  writer 
when  I  was  a  boy.  That  was  thirty  year  ago.  I 
daresay  he  's  dead  and  forgotten  now." 

David  smiled.  "  He  '11  never  die,  Mr.  Noakes.  He  's 
more  alive  now  than  ever.  *  The  Rose  and  the  Ring.' 
Why  not  '  The  Rose  in  the  Ring  '?  " 

"  Hi !  Hi !  "  cried  Joey  approvingly,  "  Right  you 
are." 

During  the  entire  act  of  Little  Starbright  and  Mon 
sieur  Dupont  David  gazed  entranced.  He  followed  Gri- 
naldi,  but  his  eyes  were  not  always  leveled  against  the 
spotted  back  of  his  mentor;  they  were  for  the  lithe, 
graceful  figure  in  scarlet  riding  atop  of  the  sturdy 
Tom  Sacks,  sometimes  standing  upright  on  his  shoul 
ders,  again  leaning  far  out  from  his  thigh,  or  even  more 
daringly  dancing  on  his  broad  back  while  he  squatted 


70  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

on  the  pad.  First  on  one  foot,  then  the  other,  then 
clear  of  his  back  with  both  of  them  twinkling  in  merry 
time  to  the  quickstep  of  the  band,  her  dark  hair  flutter 
ing  from  beneath  the  saucy  cap,  her  hands  waving 
and  her  eyes  sparkling.  Kisses  went  wafting  to  every 
section  of  the  tent,  and  with  them  smiles  such  as  David 
had  never  seen  before. 

He  was  standing  near  when  she  leaped  from  the 
horse's  back  and  skipped  to  the  center  of  the  ring  to 
blow  her  final  kisses  to  the  multitude.  It  occurred  to 
him  all  at  once  that  he  was  staring  at  this  wonderfully 
graceful,  fairy-like  little  creature  with  the  eyes  of  a 
delighted  spectator  and  not  as  a  clown.  He  guiltily 
looked  for  a  reprimand  from  Grinaldi.  To  his  surprise 
and  disappointment  she  passed  him  by  without  a  sign 
of  recognition,  slipping  her  tiny  feet  into  the  ground 
shoes  and  shuffling  off  to  the  dressing-tent  with  the 
stride  peculiar  to  ring  performers.  For  a  moment  he 
felt  as  if  she  had  struck  him  in  the  face,  so  quick  was 
his  pride  to  resent  the  slight. 

"  This  ain't  a  parlor,  my  lad,"  said  Joey,  shrewdly 
analyzing  the  feelings  of  his  protege.  "  You  must  n't 
expect  the  ladies  to  stop  and  chat  with  you  in  the  ring. 
It  ain't  reg'lar.  She  did  n't  mean  nothink  —  nothink 
at  all,  bless  'er  *eart." 

When  the  performance  was  over,  David  was  whisked 
into  the  men's  section  of  the  dressing- tent  and  told  to 
stay  there  until  further  orders.  He  changed  his  clothes 
and  "  washed  up,"  listening  meanwhile  to  the  con 
gratulations  and  the  good-natured  chaffing  of  the  per 
formers  who  were  there  with  him.  Despite  their  ribald 
scoffing,  he  knew  they  were  his  friends :  there  was 
something  about  these  careless,  inconsequent  knights 
of  the  sawdust  ring,  in  spangles  or  out,  that  warmed 
the  cockles  of  his  sore,  despairing  heart. 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          71 

He  came  before  long  to  laugh  with  them  and  to  take 
their  jibes  as  they  were  meant  —  good-naturedly. 
Joey  Grinaldi  beamed  with  congratulation.  He  laid 
himself  out  to  make  the  going  easy  for  his  "  gentleman 
pardner,"  appreciating  the  vast  distinction  that  lay 
between  these  men  and  the  kind  David  had  known  all 
of  his  life.  And  David  saw  that  he  was  trying  to  make 
it  easy  for  him.  His  heart  swelled  with  a  strange 
gratitude;  he  unbent  suddenly  and  met  the  rough 
kindnesses  more  than  half  way.  They  were  not  the 
kind  of  men  he  was  used  to,  —  they  were  not  gentle 
men  ;  but  they  stood  ready  to  be  his  friends,  and  some 
thing  told  him  that  they  would  ring  true  to  the  very  end 
if  he  met  them  half  way. 

They  had  their  own  undeviating  regard  for  what 
they  called  honor:  honor  meant  loyalty  and  fairness, 
nothing  more.  Simple,  genial,  unpolished  braggarts 
were  they,  but  their  word  was  as  good  or  better  than  a 
gentleman's  bond.  David  was  soon  to  fall  under  the 
spell  of  this  bland  comradeship:  he  was  to  see  these 
men  in  a  light  so  bright  that  it  blinded  him  to  their 
vulgarities,  their  quaint  blasphemy  and  their  prodigious 
lack  of  veracity  as  applied  to  personal  achievements. 
He  was  to  find  in  them  a  splendid  chivalry,  almost  un 
believable  at  first:  their  regard  for  the  women  in  the 
troupe  was  in  the  nature  of  a  revelation  to  him,  who 
came  from  the  land  of  gallantry  itself. 

"  Say,  kid,"  said  Signer  Anaconda,  "  the  human 
snake,"  suddenly  adopting  a  serious  mien,  —  which 
did  not  become  him,  —  "  you  gotta  change  your  name. 
What  '11  we  call  him,  fellers  ?  Now,  le'  's  give  him  a 
reg'lar  story-book  name.  Prince  Something-or-other. 
What  say  to  —  " 

"  That 's  all  settled,"  said  old  Joey,  his  eyes  full  of 
soap  and  water  and  squeezed  so  tightly  together  that 


72  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

they  looked  like  wrinkles.  "  Christine  Braddock  named 
'im  this  morning.  I  forgot  to  tell  you,  David.  Your 
name  is  Snipe  —  Jack  Snipe." 

David  flushed.  "Why  did  she  call  me  that?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Because  you  were  lonesome,  and  there  is  nothink 
so  lonesome  as  a  jack-snipe.  Leastwise,  that's  wot  she 
says.  She  asked  me  if  I'd  ever  seen  a  jack-snipe  on  a 
wet,  dreary  day,  a-standing  on  a  sandbar,  all  alone 
like  and  forlorn.  She  said  she  always  felt  so  sorry  for 
the  poor  little  cuss  —  no,  she  did  n't  say  cuss  either. 
What  was  it  she  said,  Casey?  You  was  there." 

"  She  said  '  thing,'  "  said  Casey  briefly. 

"  Right,  my  lad.  Thing  it  was.  Well,  wot  she  says 
goes  in  this  'ere  aggergation,  so  from  now  on  you  are 
just  Jack  Snipe."  He  lowered  his  voice.  "  There  won't 
nobody  call  you  David  or  Jenison  after  this,  my  boy. 
It 's  too  dangerous." 

David  was  thoughtful.  "  Do  you  mean  to  say,"  he 
said,  after  a  pause,  "  that  every  person  in  this  show 
knows  who  I  really  am?  " 

"  You  bet  your  life  they  do,"  said  Casey. 

"  And  what  I  am  wanted  for  ?  " 

"  Certain.     Wot 's  that  got  to  do  with  it?  " 

"  Do  they  think  I  'm  —  I  'm  guilty?  " 

"  Well,  I  reckon  most  of  'em  do,"  said  the  contor 
tionist  blandly.  "  But,"  he  added  in  some  haste,  "  they 
don't  give  a  dang  for  a  little  thing  like  that." 

"  But,"  said  David  fiercely,  "  I  don't  want  them  to 
think  I  am  guilty.  I  can't  bear  to  think  that  every  one 
is  looking  upon  me  as  a  criminal.  Why  —  why,  what 
must  the  ladies  of  the  —  of  the  show  think  of  me  ?  I 


Joey  Grinaldi  put  his   hand  on   the  young  fellow's 
shoulder:    "They  don't  think  you  done  it,  Jack — not 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          73 

one  of  'em.  I  heard  'em  speaking  of  you  last  night  as 
if  you  was  a  reg'lar  angel.  For  the  fust  time  since 
I  've  knowed  all  of  them  women,  they  are  all  agreed  on 
one  thing:  they  all  agree  that  you  are  the  sweetest 
kid  they  've  ever  seen  and  that  you  never  done  anything 
naughty  in  your  life.  Come  on,  now.  Mrs.  Braddock 
wants  to  see  you  a  minute." 

David's  heart  leaped.  He  followed  the  old  clown 
into  the  open  tent,  his  eyes  bright  with  the  eagerness 
to  look  once  more  upon  the  strange,  lovely  friend  of  the 
night  before,  —  his  true  guardian  angel. 

She  was  standing  near  the  entrance  to  the  main 
tent,  talking  with  half  a  dozen  of  the  women  performers, 
all  of  whom  were  in  street  attire.  As  soon  as  she  saw 
him  she  smiled  and  motioned  for  him  to  join  the  group. 
He  was  not  slow  to  obey  the  summons.  To  the  amaze 
ment  of  the  interested  group  the  young  Virginian  lifted 
her  hand  to  his  lips.  Mrs.  Braddock  flushed  warmly, 
an  exquisite  smile  of  appreciation  leaping  to  her  rather 
sombre  eyes. 

"  You  must  let  me  introduce  you  to  these  ladies,"  she 
said,  after  a  few  low  words  of  greeting.  "  This  is 
Jack  Snipe,  our  new  clown,"  she  said,  naming  for  his 
benefit  the  riders,  the  ropewalker,  the  snake-charmer 
and  the  boneless  wonder.  David  was  profoundly  polite, 
almost  old-fashioned  in  his  acknowledgment  of  the  intro 
duction.  The  women  were  suddenly  conscious  of  a  new 
found  glory  in  themselves.  The  "  boneless  wonder " 
talked  of  his  elegance  for  weeks,  and  always  without 
resorting  to  slang. 

"Where  is  Miss  Christine?"  asked  David,  turning 
to  Mrs.  Braddock  with  a  shy  smile. 

She  did  not  answer  at  once.  When  she  did,  it  was 
with  palpable  uneasiness.  "  My  daughter  usually  takes 
her  sleep  at  this  time,  Dav  —  Jack." 


74  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

David's  cheek  slowly  turned  red.  He  remembered 
what  Braddock  had  said  to  him. 

"  You  are  all  very  good  to  me,"  he  murmured,  for 
want  of  anything  better  to  say.  His  sensitive  heart  was 
thumping  quickly,  driven  by  humiliation.  She  looked 
steadily  into  his  eyes  without  speaking  and  then  walked 
away  from  the  group,  directing  him  to  follow.  They 
sat  down  upon  the  tumbler's  pad,  just  where  they  had 
been  seated  the  night  before. 

"  My  husband  is  hard  sometimes,  David,"  she  said 
gently.  "  It  will  last  for  a  few  days,  that  is  all.  We 
must  not  aggravate  him  now.  In  a  little  while  he  will 
forget  that  he  has  —  has  said  certain  things.  Then, 
I  hope  that  you  and  Christine  will  be  good  friends. 
I  —  I  want  her  to  know  you  well,  David.  I  want  her 
to  be  with  —  with  some  one  who  is  different  from  the 
people  here.  You  understand,  don't  you?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  David,  suddenly  enlightened.  "  I  know 
what  you  mean.  I  shall  be  very  happy,  too." 

"  Ah,  how  gently  you  did  that,"  she  cried,  a  wistful 
gleam  in  her  dark  eyes.  "  How  the  blood  tells  its 
story!  Yes,  David,  I  want  her  to  know  you;  I  want 
her  to  —  to  be  with  her  own  kind."  Her  face  flamed 
with  sudden  fervor ;  he  was  struck  by  the  almost  pathetic 
eagerness  that  leaped  into  her  eyes,  transfiguring  them. 
"  I  have  tried  so  hard  to  give  her  something  of  what 
I  had  myself,  David,  when  I  was  a  girl-  Everything 
depends  on  the  next  year  or  two.  She  is  thinking  for 
herself  now.  It  is  the  turning-point.  You  must  know, 
David,  you  must  see  that  she  is  not  like  the  others 
here." 

"  She  is  like  you,"  he  said,  very  simply. 

The  blood  surged  once  more  to  her  cheeks;  her  lips 
parted  with  the  quick  breath  of  joy  and  gratitude. 
She  thanked  him  very  gently,  very  gravely.  No  word 


A    STRANGER    ON    THE    SCENE          75 

was  uttered  against  the  man  who  was  Christine's 
father. 

"  I  prayed  last  night,  David,  that  you  might  stay 
with  the  show  until  the  end  of  this  season.  I  am  deter 
mined  that  it  shall  be  her  last,  no  matter  what  it  may 
cost  both  of  us." 

"  Cost  both  of  us,"  thought  he,  and  at  once  knew 
what  she  meant.  The  cost,  if  necessary,  would  be  the 
husband  and  father. 

Then  she  told  him,  in  hurried  sentences,  that  she  had 
watched  him  in  the  ring,  and  that  her  daughter  had 
come  back  to  her  with  glowing  reports  of  his  composure 
and  cleverness.  David's  pride,  at  least,  was  appeased. 
She  had  looked  at  him,  after  all,  and  was  interested. 

He  was  struck  by  the  sudden,  curious  change  that 
came  over  Mrs.  Braddock's  face.  She  was  looking 
past  him  toward  the  entrance  to  the  circus  tent.  All 
the  color,  all  the  eagerness  left  her  face  in  a  flash;  the 
warmth  died  out  in  her  big.  brown  eyes  and  in  its  stead 
appeared  a  look  of  positive  dread  and  uneasiness  —  it 
might  have  been  repugnance.  Her  lips  grew  tense,  and 
he  could  see  that  she  started  ever  so  slightly,  as  if  in 
surprise. 

He  glanced  over  his  shoulder.  Thomas  Braddock 
was  approaching,  his  face  red  with  anger  and  drink. 
At  his  side  walked  a  tall,  exceedingly  well-dressed 
stranger,  who  carried  his  silk  hat  in  his  hand  and  was 
smiling  blandly  upon  the  proprietor's  wife. 

"  Oh,  that  man  again !  "  he  heard  her  say  between 
her  stiff  lips.  There  was  a  world  of  loathing  in  the 
half-whispered  sentence,  which  was  so  low  that  it  barely 
reached  his  ears.  He  looked  up  quickly,  and  saw  her 
face  go  darkly  red  again  —  the  red  of  humiliation,  he 
could  have  sworn. 

"  Go ! "  she  said  to  David,  quietly  but  firmly. 


76  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  turned  away,  vaguely  conscious  that  the  new 
comer  was  more  to  be  feared  than  Thomas  Braddock 
himself.  Instinctively  the  boy  experienced  a  singular, 
instantaneous  aversion  to  this  immaculate  intruder. 

"  Get  out !  "  he  heard  Braddock  roar  after  him  as  he 
paused  at  the  partition  to  look  once  more  at  the 
stranger. 

The  man  was  bowing  low  before  the  straight,  motion 
less  figure  of  Mary  Braddock.  Her  chin  was  high  in 
the  air,  and  David  could  almost  have  sworn  that  he  saw 
her  nostrils  dilate. 

From  a  place  beyond  the  flap  in  the  partition  he 
surveyed  this  disturbing  visitor. 


CHAPTER   V 

SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS 

HE  was  not  long  in  supplying  a  reason  for  the  sudden 
antipathy  he  felt  toward  this  man  whom  he  had  never 
seen  before. 

A  somewhat  prolonged  study  from  the  security  of 
the  dressing-room  had  the  effect  of  settling  the  aversion 
more  firmly  in  his  mind.  In  the  first  place,  the  man's 
face  was  a  peculiarly  evil  one.  His  dark  eyes  were  set 
quite  close  together  under  a  bulging  forehead.  His 
eyebrows  were  straw-colored,  and  so  thin  that  they 
were  almost  invisible.  A  broad,  flat  nose,  with  spread 
ing  nostrils,  not  unlike  that  of  an  Ethiopian,  gave  to 
the  upper  part  of  his  face  a  sheep-like  expression.  His 
lower  lip,  thick  and  blue  and  loose,  protruded  with 
flabby  insistence  beyond  its  mate,  which  was  short  and 
straight.  The  chin  receded,  but  was  of  surprising 
length  and  breadth.  His  ears  sat  very  low  on  his  head 
and  were  ludicrously  small.  Above  them  rose  a  mas 
sive  dome,  covered  with  thick,  well-brushed  hair  of  a 
yellowish  hue,  parted  exactly  in  the  middle.  His  cheeks 
were  white  and  flaccid,  and  there  was  a  fullness  in  front 
of  the  j  aw-point  that  suggested  approaching  bagginess. 
He  smiled  with  his  lips  closed,  and  broadly  at  that. 
The  picture  was  even  less  alluring  than  when  his  face 
was  in  repose.  In  the  subdued,  gray  light  of  the  tent 
his  complexion  was  singularly  colorless ;  David  thought 
of  a  very  sick  man  he  had  once  seen. 

But  this  man  was  apparently  in  the  best  of  health. 
He  was  spare,  and  his  sloping  shoulders  did  not  suggest 


78  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

breadth  or  strength ;  yet  there  was  that  about  him  which 
made  for  force  and  virility.  His  hands  were  long  and 
slim  and  very  white.  A  huge  diamond  glittered  on  one 
of  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand ;  another  quite  as  large 
adorned  the  bosom  of  his  shirt.  It  required  no  clever 
mind  to  see  that  he  was  not  an  out-of-doors  man.  One 
would  say,  guessing,  that  he  was  thirty  six  or  eight 
years  of  age.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  was  fifty-five. 

David  noticed  that  he  never  allowed  his  gaze  to  leave 
the  face  of  Mary  Braddock,  except  to  occasionally 
traverse  her  figure  from  crown  to  foot.  The  boy's  dis 
like  grew  to  actual  resentment.  He  experienced  a  fierce 
desire  to  rush  out  and  strike  the  man  across  the  eyes. 

He  could  not  hear  what  they  were  talking  about. 
Braddock,  tipsy  as  usual,  was  urging  something  on 
her  in  low,  insistent  tones.  His  manner  was  that  of 
one  who  espouses  a  forlorn  hope;  he  argued  with  the 
insinuating,  doubting  earnestness  so  characteristic  of 
the  man  who  knows  that  he  is  operating  against  his 
own  best  interests  in  the  face  of  one  who  fully  under 
stands  the  weakness  that  impels  him.  Mrs.  Braddock 
stood  before  him,  cold,  passive,  unconvinced.  Her 
greeting  for  the  newcomer  had  been  most  unfriendly. 
She  deliberately  turned  her  back  on  him,  after  the  first 
short  "  good  afternoon."  As  for  the  stranger,  he  did 
not  take  part  in  the  conversation.  He  stood  close  to 
her  elbow,  the  trace  of  a  smile  on  his  lips. 

Suddenly  her  tense  body  relaxed.  Her  chin  dropped 
forward  and  she  nodded  her  head  dejectedly.  Brad- 
dock's  next  rem.ark,  uttered  with  considerable  gusto, 
came  to  David's  ears. 

"  Good !  "  he  said,  biting  his  cigar  with  approving 
energy.  "  We  can  talk  it  over  there.  I  think  you  will 
see  it  my  way,  Mary.  You'll  see  if  I'm  not  right! 
Come  on,  Bob.  This  is  no  place  to  talk." 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  BRADDOCKS  79 

She  preceded  them  without  another  word,  an  air  of 
utter  weariness  characterizing  her  movements.  The 
stranger  smiled  his  bland,  hateful  smile.  When  Brad- 
dock,  in  genial  relief,  essayed  to  take  his  arm,  the  tall 
man  coldly  withdrew  himself  from  the  contact,  dis 
playing  a  far  from  mild  aversion  to  the  advances  of 
the  tipsy  showman.  Braddock  dropped  back,  like  a 
cowed  dog,  permitting  the  other  to  pass  through  the 
sidewall  ahead  of  him,  a  step  or  two  behind  the  unhappy 
Mary  Braddock  on  whose  back  his  steady  gaze  was 
leveled  with  unswerving  intentness. 

David  hurried  to  a  rent  in  the  canvas  and  peered 
out  into  the  sunlight  of  the  waning  day.  The  stranger 
had  come  up  beside  Mrs.  Braddock,  talking  to  her  as 
they  crossed  the  lot  in  the  direction  of  the  street.  She 
apparently  paid  no  heed  to  his  remarks.  Braddock 
made  no  effort  to  keep  up  with  them,  but  loafed  behind, 
simulating  interest  in  the  most  conveniently  propin- 
quitous  of  his  possessions,  with  now  and  then  a  furtive 
glance  at  the  couple  a  half-dozen  paces  ahead. 

David  was  sorely  puzzled  and  distressed.  He  knew 
that  something  was  going  cruelly  wrong  with  his  friend 
and  supporter,  but  what  it  was  he  could  not  even  venture 
a  guess,  knowing  so  little  about  the  people  and  con 
ditions  attached  to  his  new  world. 

"  So,  he  's  'ere  again,  is  he  ?  " 

He  whirled  quickly  to  find  Grinaldi  peering  over  his 
shoulder,  his  erstwhile  merry  face  as  black  as  a  thunder 
cloud. 

"  Who  is  he?  "  demanded  David. 

The  clown  did  not  answer  at  once.  His  eyes  were 
glittering.  It  was  not  until  the  trio  passed  from  view 
beyond  a  "  snack-stand  "  that  he  sighed  mightily  and 
jammed  his  hands  into  his  coat  pockets,  still  clenched. 
Even  then,  he  stared  long  at  David  before  replying. 


80  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"That  man?"  he  said  harshly.  "That's  Colonel 
Bob  Grand." 

"  What  has  he  got  to  do  with  the  show,  Mr. 
Noakes?" 

"  Call  me  Joey.  Everybody  does,  my  lad."  He 
looked  around  cautiously.  No  one  was  near  them. 
Nevertheless,  he  lowered  his  voice.  "  That 's  just  wot 
all  of  us  would  like  to  know  ourselves,  Jacky.  He  's 
a  race-horse  man  and  a  gambler.  Oh,  don't  you  get 
it  into  your  'ead  that  he  follows  the  show  in  them 
capacities.  Not  he.  He 's  too  big  a  guy  for  that. 
No,  sirree.  He  pinches  the  dollars  by  the  thousands, 
that  chap  does.  No  ten-dollar  rube  games  for  'im. 
But  I  '11  tell  you  all  about  'im  at  supper.  There  's 
Ruby  waiting  for  us  at  the  door.  I  'm  'aving  supper 
brought  over  'ere  for  us  three  and  Casey.  He 's  a 
nice  chap,  Casey  is.  Brad  says  you  are  not  to  go  to 
the  cook-top  until  we  're  out  of  the  woods."  Before 
starting  off  to  join  his  daughter,  Grinaldi  looked 
again  through  the  hole  in  the  canvas,  muttering  a 
dejected  oath. 

Ruby  Noakes,  very  pretty  and  quite  demure  in  a 
simple  frock  of  brown,  without  the  prevailing  bustle 
and  paniers,  was  directing  the  contortionist  in  his  ef 
forts  to  construct  a  table  out  of  three  "  blue  seats  " 
and  a  couple  of  property  trunks,  or  "  keesters,"  as 
they  were  called. 

"  I  insist  on  having  a  table  that  I  can  put  my  legs 
under,"  she  said  when  he  argued  that  the  trunks  alone 
would  make  an  "  elegant  "  table.  "  We  can  sit  on  the 
boxes.  Here,  dad,  you  and  Jack  get  the  boxes  up. 
The  boys  will  be  here  with  supper  in  a  minute  or  two. 
Oh,  I  say,  is  n't  it  going  to  be  fun?  Just  like  a  supper 
party  in  Delmonico's  —  only  I  've  never  been  to  one 
there.  Goodness,  how  I  'd  love  to  eat  at  Delmonico's !  " 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS     81 

"  You  would  n't  like  it  a  bit,  Ruby,"  announced 
Casey.  "  You  got  to  understand  French  to  eat  what 
they  have  there.  If  you  can't  understand  French, 
you  're  sure  to  eat  something  that  won't  agree  with 
you,  not  bein'  able  to  tell  soup  from  pickled  pigs' 
feet." 

"  How  do   you   know?     You  've   never  been   there." 

Casey  gave  her  a  cool  stare.  "  I  have  n't,  eh?  My 
dear,  I  'd  have  you  to  know  that  I  've  et  there  a  hun 
dred  times." 

Her  eyes  popped  wide  open. 

"  Of  course,"  he  explained,  "  I  allus  had  to  wake 
up  and  find  I  'd  been  dreamin'.  But,  by  ginger,  them 
was  great  dreams.  I  allus  had  'em  after  my  wife's, 
cousin  had  been  up  to  our  shack  of  a  Sunday  to  get 
a  good  square  meal.  He  was  a  waiter  at  Delmonico's. 
He  was  allus  tellin'  what  gorgeous  things  he  had  to 
eat  at  Del's,  and  then,  blow  me,  I  'd  dream  about  'em 
the  livelong  night." 

Presently  the  food  came  in  from  the  cook,-tent.  The 
four. sat  down,  David  beside  the  girl,  who  generously 
took  him  in  hand  at  this  unusual  banquet.  In  the  men 
agerie  tent  beyond  wild  beasts  were  growling  and 
roaring  and  snarling  a  weird  interlude  for  the  benefit 
of  the  banqueters,  sounds  so  strange  and  menacing  that 
David  looked  often  with  uneasy  interest  in  the  direc 
tion  from  which  they  came. 

"I  like  this,  don't  you,  dad?  I  wish  we  could  have 
a  runaway  boy  with  us  every  night  or  so."  She  gave 
David  a  warm,  enveloping  smile. 

But  Joey  was  not  listening  to  the  idle  chatter  of 
his  daughter.  He  ate  in  silence,  his  brow  corrugated 
with  the  intensity  of  his  thoughts. 

"  Say,  Casey,  'ave  you  seen  'im  ?  "  he  asked  at  last, 
interrupting  a  tale  that  Ruby  was  telling  for  David's 
especial  benefit. 


82  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  like  that !  "  she  exclaimed  indignantly. 

"  Seen  who?  "  from  Casey,  also  ignoring  her. 

"  Grand." 

"Is  that  skunk  here  again?" 

"  Big  as  life,  dang  'is  bloody  'eart.  He  's  bother 
ing  'er,  too.  Makes  love  to  'er  right  afore  'er  'us- 
band's  eyes.  It 's  —  it 's  out-rage-ious." 

Miss  Noakes  forgot  her  story  and  her  resentment. 
She  leaned  forward,  her  black  eyes  fairly  snapping, 
her  fingers  clenched.  David  recalled  the  muscular  bare 
arms  he  had  seen  during  the  trapeze  act,  and  wondered 
how  so  slight  a  person  as  she  now  seemed  to  be  could  be 
so  powerfully  developed. 

"  I  knew  something  awful  was  going  to  happen,"  she 
said.  "  I  saw  a  cross-eyed  man  in  the  blues  to-day.  It 
never  fails." 

Circus  people,  from  the  beginning  of  history,  have 
been  superstitious.  Not  one,  but  all  of  them,  carry 
charms,  amulets  or  lucky  pieces,  and  they  recognize 
more  signs  than  the  sailors  themselves. 

"  Some  of  these  fine  days  I  'm  going  to  paste  that 
guy  on  the  nose,"  said  the  contortionist  heatedly. 

"  You  '11  get  a  bullet  in  your  gizzard  if  you  do," 
said  the  clown  gloomily.  "  He  carries  a  gun,  and  he  '11 
use  it,  too.  And  if  he  did  n't,  Tom  Braddock  would 
beat  you  to  jelly  for  insulting  'is  best  friend." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  Mrs.  Braddock  is  in  love  with 
that  man?  "  demanded  David,  his  heart  sinking. 

The  three  of  them  glared  at  him  —  positively  glared. 

"  Nobody  said  that,  sir,"  said  old  Joey  angrily. 
"  She  despises  'im.  I  said  as  'ow  he  was  in  love  with 
'er.  There  's  a  big  difference  in  that,  my  friend." 

"  I  knew  she  was  n't  that  kind  of  a  woman,"  cried 
David  joyously. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  women  ? "  demanded 
Casey. 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS     83 

"  I  '11  tell  you  about  'im  and  'er  and  all  of  them," 
said  Joey,  looking  about  to  see  that  they  were  quite 
alone  in  their  corner.  "  You  can  tell  by  looking  at 
'er,  Jacky,  that  she  ain't  no  common  pusson.  She  's 
quality,  as  you  Virginians  would  say.  And  for  that 
matter,  so  is  Colonel  Grand,  after  a  fashion.  That  is 
to  say,  he  comes  of  a  very  good  old  New  Orleans  fam 
ily.  He  spoilt  it  all  by  being  a  colonel  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  war.  He  was  n't  for  the  North  be 
cause  he  was  patriotic,  but  because  he  knowed  the  North 
would  win  and  he  saw  'is  chance  to  get  rich.  He 's 
just  a  nateral-born  gambler.  Of  course,  he  ain't  been 
back  to  New  Orleans  since  the  war.  I  understand  'is 
own  brothers  intend  to  shoot  'im  if  he  does  go  back. 
He  went  to  Washington  to  live,  and  he  made  a  pile 
of  money  promoting  carpet-bagging  schemes  through 
the  south.  He  's  got  a  big  gambling-house  in  Balti 
more  at  present,  and  an  interest  in  one  in  New  York, 
besides  'aving  a  string  o'  race-horses. 

"  Well,  Tom  Braddock  comes  from  Baltimore.  His 
father  was  a  hoss  trainer  and  trader  there  for  a  good 
many  years  afore  he  died  —  w'ich  was  about  two  years 
ago.  I  Ve  'card  it  said  by  them  as  knows,  that  he 
sometimes  traded  hosses  in  the  dead  of  night  and  for 
got  to  leave  one  in  exchange  for  the  one  he  took  away. 
However  that  may  be,  he  never  got  caught  at  it  and  so 
died  an  honest  man.  It  seems  that  he  borrowed  one  of 
Colonel  Grand's  riding  hosses  to  go  after  a  doctor  one 
night,  some  years  ago,  and  didn't  return  it  for  nearly 
eighteen  months.  He  would  n't  'ave  returned  it  then 
if  the  Colonel  'ad  n't  seen  'im  riding  it  in  Van  Slye's 
street  parade  out  in  a  little  Indiana  town  during  county 
fair  week.  I  was  with  the  show  at  the  time,  Av'ich  was 
afore  old  Van  Slye  sold  out  to  Tom  Braddock.  Well, 
Tom  and  Mrs.  Braddock  begged  so  'ard  for  the  old 


84  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

scamp  that  the  Colonel  not  only  let  'im  off  but  took 
'im  back  to  Baltimore  to  train  hosses  for  him.  That 
was  about  five  seasons  ago,  and  it  was  the  first  time 
any  of  us  ever  laid  eyes  on  the  Colonel. 

"  Tom  Braddock  and  'is  wife  lived  in  Baltimore 
in  the  winter  time,  where  she  kept  little  Christine 
in  school  from  November  to  March.  The  rest  of  the 
year  she -teaches  'er  'erself.  I  might  say  that  Chris 
tine  is  a  specially  well-edicated  child  and  well  brought 
up.  You  can  see  that  for  yourself.  Tom  wanted  'er 
to  learn  'ow  to  sing  and  dance  so  's  she  could  be  earn 
ing  money  all  winter,  but  'er  mother  said  nix  to  that, 
very  proper  like.  In  course  o'  time,  Tom's  father 
worked  it  so 's  Tom  could  practice  'is  bareback  acts 
at  Colonel  Grand's  stables.  He  was  the  best  rider  in 
the  country  at  that  time.  The  Colonel  got  'im  to 
drinking  and  gambling.  That  was  the  beginning.  The 
poor  cuss  'ad  n't  been  such  a  bad  lot  up  to  that  time. 
Him  and  Mary  had  always  got  on  fairly  well  until  he 
got  to  drinking.  It  was  n't  long  afore  the  Colonel 
took  a  notion  to  Tom's  wife.  He  'as  a  wife  of  'is 
own,  but  that  didn't  stop  'im.  He  just  went  plumb 
crazy  about  Mary  Braddock,  who  was  the  purtiest,  love 
liest  woman  he  'd  ever  seen  —  or  any  of  us,  for  that 
matter.  I  '11  never  forget  how  nice  she  's  allus  been  to 
my  gal  'ere,  and  to  every  gal  in  the  show,  for  that 
matter.  She  's  an  angel  if  there  ever  was  one.  Don't 
interrupt,  Casey.  I  've  said  it.  You  keep  still,  too, 
Ruby  —  and  don't  sniffle  like  that,  either. 

"  I  won't  go  into  the  'istory  of  'ow  the  Colonel 
tried  to  get  'er  away  from  Tom.  I  daresay  that 's  the 
very  thing  that  makes  'er  stick  to  Tom  so  loyal-like 
in  spite  of  wot  he  is  now.  Just  principle,  that 's  all. 
Well,  for  more  'n  two  year  the  Colonel  'as  been  pester 
ing  'er  almost  to  death,  and  she  'as  to  stand  it  be- 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS     85 

cause  he 's  got  such  a  terrible  'old  on  'er  'usband. 
You  see,  the  Colonel  lent  Tom  a  good  bit  of  money  when 
he  bought  old  Van  Slye  out  season  afore  last.  I  will 
say  this  for  Tom,  he  paid  'im  back  dollar  for  dollar. 
We  'ad  a  good  season  and  he  got  the  show  cheap.  Tom 
give  up  riding  because  he  was  tight  all  the  time, 
nearly  killing  Christine  once  or  twice.  Every  once  in 
awhile,  come  so  the  Colonel  would  turn  up  and  travel 
with  the  show  for  a  week  or  so,  inducing  Tom  to  play 
poker  and  drink.  Tom  allus  lost  and  then  the  Colonel  'd 
stake  'im  for  a  month  or  so  to  run  the  show  on.  This1 
'as  gone  on  for  two  years,  Tom  getting  wuss  all  the 
time  and  the  Colonel  more  persistent.  Tom  'as  lost  all 
sense  of  honor  and  decency.  He  knows  the  Colonel  is 
trying  to  get  'is  wife  away  from  'im,  and  he  ain't  got 
spunk  enough  left  to  object  to  it.  He  don't  even  try 
to  protect  'er  from  the  old  villain.  They  say  Grand 
'as  promised  'er  a  fine  'ome  in  Washington  and  will 
edicate  Christine  abroad,  besides  offering  enough 
diamonds  to  fill  a  'at.  But  she  just  despises  'im 
more  and  more  every  week.  He  '11  never  get  'er  — 
no  sirree!  Why,  she  just  couldn't  do  it!  'T  ain't  in 
'er! 

"  Early  this  season  he  lent  Tom  five  or  six  thousand, 
and  Tom  can't  pay  it  back,  I  know,  business  'as  been 
so  bad.  He 's  come  on  this  time,  I  daresay,  to  bull 
doze  'em  into  'is  way  of  thinking.  He 's  wonderful 
persistent.  Like  as  not  he  '11  help  Tom  out  some  more 
afore  he  leaves,  just  to  draw  the  web  closer.  He'll 
stay  a  few  days,  'anging  around  'er  like  a  vulture, 
paying  no  attention  to  'er  rebukes,  and  then  he  '11  go 
off  to  return  another  day.  He  's  wrecked  Tom  Brad- 
dock,  just  as  a  stepping-stone.  Some  day  he'll  be 
through  with  Tom  for  good  and  all,  and  you  '11  see 
what  'appens  to  Thomas." 


86  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Grinaldi'  s  voice  was  hoarse  with  emotion ;  his  brow 
was  damp  with  perspiration.  Casey  was  the  only  one 
who  ate ;  he  ate  sullenly. 

"  What  beasts ! "  cried  David,  his  fine  nature  In 
revolt. 

"  Brad  'as  got  to  this  point  in  'is  love  for  drink  and 
cards,"  said  Joey.  "  He  '11  sacrifice  anything  for  whis 
key.  He  's  got  to  have  it.  We  've  all  talked  to  'im. 
No  good.  I  —  I  don't  like  to  say  it,  Dav  —  Jacky, 
but  he  's  slapped  'is  wife  more  'n  once  when  she  's  tried 
to  plead  with  — 

David  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  face  quivering  with  rage 
and  horror. 

"  I'll  kill  him !"  he  cried  shrilly.  "  If  the  rest  of  you 
are  afraid  to  stand  up  for  her,  I  will  show  you  how 
a  Virginia  gentleman  acts  in  such  matters.  I  '11  —  " 

"  My  boy,"  said  Joey,  very  much  gratified  by  his 
protege's  attitude.  "  I  like  to  hear  you  talk  that  way. 
But  don't  you  go  'round  gabbing  about  killing  people. 
A  word  to  the  wise,  my  lad.  You  see  wot  I  mean?  " 

David  turned  perfectly  livid  and  then  sank  back  to 
his  seat  with  a  groan  of  despair. 

"  You  mean  that  my  —  that  I  've  got  a  bad  name 
already?  " 

"  So  far  as  the  law  is  concerned,  yes,"  said  Joey 
gently.  "  You  see,  you  are  David  Jenison  and  —  well, 
it  's  a  fine  old  name,  my  'eartie,  but  these  ain't  very 
gallant  days.  It 's  too  soon  after  the  war,  I  take  it." 

The  boy  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  his  eyes  dark 
with  the  pain  of  understanding. 

"  But,"  he  said  bravely,  "  he  must  not  be  allowed  to 
strike  her.  Why  does  n  't  she  leave  him  ?  Why  not 
get  a  divorce?  No  woman  should  live  with  a  man  who 
strikes  her.  God  docs  n't  intend  that  to  be.  He  —  " 

"  God  put  us  all  into  the  world  and  he  '11  take  us 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS     87 

all  out  of  it,"  said  the  clown,  philosophizing.  "  That 's 
about  all  we  ought  to  expect  'im  to  do.  I  don't  think 
God  'as  anything  to  do  with  matrimony.  He  says,  '  you 
takes  your  choice  and  you  trusts  to  luck,  not  to  me. 
If  it  turns  out  all  right,'  says  he,  '  you  can  thank  me, 
but  if  it  goes  wrong,  don't  blame  me.'  So  there  you 
are.  It  strikes  me  that  God  don't  intend  a  good  many 
things,  but  they  'appen  just  the  same.  As  for  'er 
getting  a  divorce,  she  's  too  proud.  She  made  'er  bed, 
as  the  feller  says,  and  she  's  going  to  lie  in  it  as  long 
as  there  's  room.  She  made  'er  bed  sixteen  years  ago, 
she  did,  against  'er  father's  wishes,  and  she  ain't  the 
kind  to  go  back  and  say  it 's  too  'ard  for  'er  to  sleep 
in  and  she  'd  like  to  come  'ome  and  sleep  in  one  of  'is 
for  a  change.  No  sirree,  my  lad." 

"  How  did  she  come  to  marry  such  a  beast  as  Brad- 
dock?  " 

"  Well,  that 's  another  story.  I  'ope,  Casey,  I  'm 
not  boring  you." 

"  I  was  n't  gaping,"  said  Casey  testily.  "  I  was 
coolin'  my  mouth.  Try  that  coffee  yourself  if  you 
don't  think  it 's  hot." 

"  I  wish  she  would  leave  him,"  said  Ruby,  more  to 
herself  than  to  the  others. 

"  She  's  got  some  of  'er  own  money  in  the  show  — 
all  of  it,  I  daresay.  Money  'er  grandmother  left  'er 
a  couple  of  years  ago.  Brad  promised  he  'd  buy  'er 
share  in  a  year  or  two  and  let  'er  put  the  money  away 
for  Christine.  But  he  '11  never  do  it,  not  'im.  You 
see,  Da  —  Jacky,  it  all  'appened  this  way.  She  was  go 
ing  to  a  young  ladies'  boarding-school  up  in  Connec 
ticut  w'en  she  fust  saw  Tom  Braddock.  Her  father 
lived  in  New  York  City  and  he  was  a  very  wealthy 
guy.  She  was  'is  only  child  and  'er  mother  was  dead. 
The  old  man,  whose  name  was  Portman,  —  Albert  Port- 


88  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

man,  the  banker,  —  was  considering  a  second  venture 
into  matrimony  at  the  time.  Mary  was  eighteen  and 
she  did  n't  want  a  stepmother.  She  raised  such  a  row 
that  he  sent  'er  off  to  school  so  as  he  could  do  'is 
courting  in  peace  and  plenty.  She  was  a  wayward  gal, 
—  leastwise  she  says  so  'erself  —  and  very  impetuous- 
like.  One  day  a  circus  comes  to  the  town  where  she  was 
attending  school.  The  young  ladies  were  took  to  the 
afternoon  performance  by  the  —  er  —  school-ma'ams. 
They  all  perceeded  to  fall  in  love  at  first  sight  with  a 
'andsome  young  equestrian.  He  was  very  good- 
looking,  I  can  tell  you  that,  and  he  'ad  a  fine  figger. 
As  clean  a  looking  young  chap  as  ever  you  see.  Well 
do  I  remember  Tommy  Braddock  in  them  days.  He 
was  twenty-two  and  he  rode  like  a  A-rab.  Well,  wot 
should  'appen  but  'is  hoss,  a  green  one,  must  bolt  sud- 
denlike,  scairt  by  one  of  the  balloons  that  'it  'im  on  the 
nose.  Brad  fell  off  as  the  brute  leaped  out  of  the  ring, 
terrified  by  the  shouts  of  the  ring-men.  The  hoss 
started  right  for  the  seats  where  the  school  misses  was 
setting.  Up  jumps  Brad  and  sails  after  'im.  The  hoss 
got  tangled  in  some  ropes  and  stumbled,  just  as  he 
was  about  to  leap  into  the  place  where  Mary  Portman 
sat.  Brad  grabs  'im  by  the  bit  and  jerks  'im  around, 
but  in  the  plunging  that  followed,  the  hoss  fell  over  on 
'im,  breaking  'is  leg  —  I  mean  Brad's.  Of  course, 
there  was  a  great  stew  about  it.  He  was  took  to  a 
'ospital  and  the  papers  was  full  of  'ow  he  saved  the 
life  of  the  rich  Miss  Portman.  Well,  she  used  to  go  to 
see  'im  a  lot.  When  he  got  so 's  he  could  'obble 
around,  she  took  'im  out  driving  and  so  on.  He  was  a 
fair-spoken  chap  in  them  days  and  he  'ad  a  good  face. 
So  she  fell  desperit  in  love  with  'im.  He  was  an  'ero. 
She  told  'er  father  she  was  going  to  marry  'im.  As 
the  old  gentleman  was  about  to  be  married  'imself,  he 


'ated  to  share  the  prominence  with  'er.  So  he  said 
he  'd  disown  'er  if  she  even  thought  of  marrying  a 
low-down  circus  rider.  That  was  enough  for  Mary. 
She  up  and  run  off  with  Tom  and  got  married  to  'im 
in  a  jiffy,  beating  'er  father  to  the  altar  by  about 
two  weeks. 

"  As  soon  as  Tom  was  able  to  ride  again,  they 
joined  the  show.  Her  father  disowned  'er,  as  he  said 
he  would.  He  said  he  'd  'ave  the  butler  shut  the  door 
in  'er  face  if  she  ever  come  to  the  'ouse.  They  went 
up  to  ask  for  forgiveness,  and  the  butler  did  shut  the 
door  in  'er  face.  So  she  turned  'er  back  on  'er  father's 
'ome  and  went  to  the  little  one  Tom  made  for  'er  in 
Baltimore.  She  never  even  wrote  to  'er  father  after 
that,  and  she  won't  ever  go  back,  no  matter  wot  'ap- 
pens.  Not  even  if  he  sends  for  and  forgives  'er,  I  be 
lieve.  She  's  stood  it  this  long,  she  '11  stick  it  out.  Mr. 
Portman  got  married  right  enough  and  I  understand 
he  's  'ad  a  'ell  of  a  time  of  it  ever  since.  Married  a 
reg'lar  tartar,  thank  God. 

"  Well,  in  a  year  Christine  came.  After  a  couple  of 
years  they  went  to  England  and  the  Continent,  where 
Brad  rode  for  several  seasons  very  successful.  When 
Christine  was  seven,  he  insisted  that  she  should  work 
with  'im  in  the  ring.  He  'ad  'is  way.  They  made  a 
sensation  with  Van  Slye's  show  and  stuck  to  'im  for 
six  years  straight,  allus  drawing  good  pay.  Mary 
went  with  them  everywhere,  never  missing  a  perform 
ance,  allus  scairt  to  death  on  account  of  the  gal.  I 
think  nearly  all  of  the  last  five  years  of  her  life  'ave 
been  spent  in  wishing  that  Tom  would  fall  off  and  break 
'is  own  neck,  but  he  could  n't  do  it  very  well  without 
breakin'  the  kid's,  too,  so  she  did  n't  know  wot  to  do. 
Then  he  got  to  drinking  so  'ard  that  he  did  fall  off, 
'urting  'imself  purty  bad.  After  that  he  give  it  up, 


90  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

buying  a  share  in  Van  Slye's  show,  and  letting  Chris 
tine  do  'er  work  with  Tom  Sacks.  Mrs.  Braddock 
would  give  anything  she 's  got  in  the  world  if  she 
could  get  Christine  out  of  the  business  and  settled  down 
in  their  own  'ome  in  Baltimore.  Just  to  show  you  wot 
drink  does  for  Brad,  he  pays  Christine  a  good  salary 
every  week  for  riding  and  then  insists  on  taking  it 
back  so  's  he  can  put  it  in  the  savings  bank  for  'er. 
He  spends  every  penny  of  it  for  drink  and  he  — 

"  Sh !  "  came  in  a  warning  hiss  from  Ruby  Noakes, 
whose  quick,  black  eyes  had  caught  sight  of  a  figure 
approaching  from  the  big  top.  "  Mrs.  Braddock  is 
coming,  dad.  My,  how  white  she  is." 

The  proprietor's  wife  moved  slowly,  even  listlessly. 
Something  vital  had  gone  out  of  her  face,  it  seemed 
to  David,  who  knew  her  only  as  a  strong,  courageous 
defender.  A  wan  smile  crept  into  her  tired  eyes  as  she 
came  up  to  them  and  asked  if  she  might  sit  down  at 
their  board.  The  hand  she  laid  caressingly  on  Ruby's 
shoulder  shook  as  if  with  ague. 

"  Jerk  up  a  keester  for  Mrs.  Braddock,  Casey," 
cried  old  Joey  with  alacrity.  The  contortionist  found 
a  small  trunk  and  placed  it  between  Ruby  Noakes  and 
David.  Mrs.  Braddock  thanked  him  and  sat  down. 

"Have  you  had  your  supper,  Mrs.  Braddock?" 
asked  Ruby. 

"  I  am  not  hungry,"  said  the  other  quietly.  "  A 
cup  of  coffee,  though,  if  you  have  enough  for  me  with 
out  robbing  yourselves.  You  work  so  hard,  you  know, 
rny  dears,  while  I  am  utterly  without  an  occupation. 
I  don't  need  much,  do  I  ?  " 

"  You  need  a  snifter  of  brandy,"  announced  Joey 
conclusively.  He  went  off  to  get  it. 

Ruby  rinsed  her  own  tin-cup  and  poured  out  some 
hot  coffee.  Casey  called  up  a  boy  and  sent  off  to  the 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    SHADDOCKS     91 

performer's  cook  top  for  a  pitcher  of  soup,  some  corned 
beef  and  potatoes,  ignoring  her  protests. 

"And  how  is  the  new  clown  faring?"  she  asked, 
turning  to  the  silent  David  with  a  smile. 

"  Very  well,  thank  you,"  he  replied.  "  I  have  been 
very  hungry,  you  know.  I  have  never  known  food  to 
taste  so  good." 

"  The  hotels  in  these  towns  are  atrocious.  I  can't 
eat  the  food,"  she  explained  listlessly. 

Joey  handed  her  a  drink  from  his  flask.  She  swal 
lowed  it  obediently  but  with  evident  distaste.  There 
was  a  long,  somewhat  painful  silence. 

"  I  think  it 's  started  to  sprinkle  again,"  ventured 
the  contortionist,  looking  at  the  top  with  uneasy 
eyes. 

"  Yes,"  she  said  appreciatively,  "  it  means  another 
wretched  night  for  us."  She  toyed  with  the  tin-cup 
with  nervous  fingers  for  a  moment  and  then  turned 
to  the  expectant  Grinaldi.  "  We  have  been  obliged  to 
borrow  more  money,  Joey." 

"  So  ?  "  he  said,  nodding  his  head  dumbly. 

"  Five  thousand  dollars.  I  —  I  signed  the  note  with 
T/om.  Oh,  if  we  could  only  have  a  spell  of  good 
weather ! "  It  was  an  actual  wail  of  despair. 

"  It 's  bound  to  come,"  said  the  clown.  "  It  can't 
rain  allus,  Mrs.  Braddock." 

Again  there  was  silence.  The  three  performers  were 
absolutely  dumb  in  the  presence  of  her  unspoken  misery. 

"  Would  my  money  be  of  any  service  to  you  ?  "  asked 
David  at  last,  timidly. 

"  You  dear  boy,  no !  "  she  cried  warmly.  "  You  do 
not  understand.  This  is  our  affair,  David.  You  are 
very,  very  good,  but  —  "  She  checked  the  words  reso 
lutely.  "  We  can  lift  the  notes  handily  if  the  weather 
helps  us  just  a  little  bit." 


92  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  don't  like  that  man,"  announced  the  boy,  his 
dark  eyes  gleaming. 

The  others  coughed  uncomfortably.  Mrs.  Braddock 
hesitated  for  a  second,  and  then  laid  her  hand  on 
his. 

"  He  is  a  very  bad  man,  David,"  was  all  that  she  said. 
He  would  have  blurted  out  an  additional  expression  of 
hatred  had  she  not  lifted  her  finger  imperatively. 
"  You  must  not  say  indiscreet  things,  my  friend."  It 
was  a  warning  and  he  understood. 

"  Come  on,  Jacky,"  put  in  Grihaldi  hastily.  "  I  've 
got  to  rehearse  you  a  bit.  You  've  got  to  learn  'ow 
to  tumble  and  you  've  got  to  —  " 

"  Just  a  moment,  Joey,"  said  Mrs.  Braddock  ner 
vously.  "  David,  I  can't  keep  your  money  for  you.  Do 
you  object  to  Mr.  Noakes  taking  it  for  awhile?  Until 
we  can  get  to  a  town  where  you  can  deposit  it  in  a 
bank.  It  is  n't  safe  with  me.  I  —  " 

"  It  is  safe  with  you,"  he  cried  eagerly. 

"  No !  If  anything  were  to  happen  to  me  you  would 
never  see  it  again."  He  was  struck  by  the  increased 
pallor  of  her  face.  "  It 's  quite  safe  with  Joey." 

He  waited  a  moment  before  replying.     "  I  know  that, 
Mrs.   Braddock.      You  may  give   it  to   him.      But  — 
but  I  want  you  to  know  that  if  you  ever  need  any  of 
it,  or  all  of  it  —  for  yourself  or  Christine,  you  are  more 
than  welcome  to  it." 

Her  eyes  were  flooded.  "  Thank  you,  David,"  she 
said  softly.  Then  she  quickly  withdrew  the  flat  purse 
from  the  bosom  of  her  dress  and  handed  it  to  Joey, 
not  without  a  cautious  look  in  all  directions. 

The  clown  put  it  in  his  inside  coat  pocket  without  a 
word. 

"  You  must  deposit  it  in   a  bank  at  N ,"   she 

went  on  hurriedly.     "All  but  an  amount  sufficient  to 


SOMETHING    ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS     93 

help  you  if  you  are  obliged  to  suddenly  fly  from 
arrest.  You  understand.  Joey  will  attend  to  it  for 
you.  You  may  depend  on  him  and  Casey  to  stand  by 
you.  In  a  few  days  we  will  be  in  Ohio.  The  danger 
will  be  small  after  that,  Dav  —  I  mean,  Jack  Snipe. 
I  —  I  have  worried  about  this  money  ever  since  —  well, 
ever  since  last  night.  You  must  not  have  it  about  you, 
nor  is  it  safe  with  me.  It  is  too  large  a  sum  to  be 
placed  in  jeopardy.  Perhaps,  my  boy,  it  is  your  entire 
fortune,  who  knows.  The  Jenison  estate  seems  lost  to 
you,  cruelly  enough.  I  am  so  very  sorry." 

"  I  only  want  to  think  that  none  of  you  believe  I 
committed  the  crime  I  am  accused  of,"  said  David 
simply.  "  The  money  is  n't  anything." 

"  We  are  not  accusers,"  she  said  gravely. 

"Where  is  Brad?"  demanded  Grinaldi,  his  patience 
and  diplomacy  exhausted. 

"  He  is  up  in  Colonel  Grand's  room  at  the  hotel," 
she  answered,  as  if  that  explained  everything. 

"  Talking  business,  I  suppose,"  he  said  sarcastically. 

"  Yes,  they  are  settling  certain  details."  She  spoke 
in  such  a  way  that  Joey  looked  up  in  alarm. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  are  —  you  are  going 
to  —  " 

"  No,  not  that,  my  friend,"  she  said,  quite  calmly. 

"  I  did  n't  think  so,"  said  Joey  fervently. 

Mrs.  Braddock  arose  abruptly. 

"  I  must  go  to  Christine.    Will  you  come,  Ruby?  " 

Ruby  followed  her  out  of  the  tent,  exchanging  a 
quick  glance  with  her  father  as  she  left  the  improvised 
table. 

"  Come  on,  Jacky,"  said  Joey.  "  Strip  them  clothes 
off  and  get  to  work.  You  've  got  a  lot  to  learn.  Ta, 
ta,  Casey.  Don't  stay  out  in  the  rain.  You  '11  melt 
your  bones,  if  you  've  got  any." 


94  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

David,  somewhat  depressed  and  very  thoughtful,  got 
into  a  portion  of  his  clown's  dress  under  the  direc 
tion  of  his  instructor,  who  was  unusually  cross  and 
taciturn. 

As  they  started  for  the  deserted  ring,  Joey  took  the 
boy's  arm  and  said,  with  a  diffidence  that  was  almost 
pathetic : 

"  Jacky,  I  —  I  want  you  to  be  nice  to  my  gal.  She  's 
never  'ad  no  chance  to  associate  with  a  real  toff.  It 
ain't  'er  fault,  poor  gal ;  it 's  the  life  we  leads.  These 
'ere  circus  people  are  as  good  as  gold,  Jacky ;  I  'm  not 
complaining  about  that.  But  they  ain't  just  exactly 
wot  I  want  my  gal  to  grow  up  like.  Not  but  wot  she  's 
growed  up  already  so  far  as  size  is  concerned.  But 
she  's  not  quite  eighteen.  She  's  been  in  the  show  busi 
ness  since  she  was  two.  Her  mother  and  'er  grand 
mother  afore  'er,  too.  But  the  business  ain't  wot  it 
used  to  be.  I  want  'er  to  get  out  of  it.  I  don't 
want  'er  marrying  some  wuthless  '  Kinker '  or  even  a 
decent  '  Joy.'  Mrs.  Braddock  'as  done  worlds  for  'er, 
mind  you,  but  it 's  the  men  she  's  associated  with  that  I 
objects  to.  They're  —  they're  too  much  like  me. 
That 's  wot  I  mean,  Jacky.  Would  you  mind  just  con 
versing  with  'er  friendly  like  from  time  to  time?  Just 
give  'er  a  touch  of  wot  a  real  gentleman  is,  sir.  It 
ain't  asking  too  much  of  you,  is  it,  Dav  —  Jacky?  I 
ain't  ashamed  to  ask  it  of  you,  and  I  —  I  kind  of  hoped 
you  would  n't  be  ashamed  to  'elp  tone  'er  up  a  bit,  in 
a  way.  She  's  more  like  'er  mother  than  she  is  like  me. 
And  'er  mother  was  as  fine  a  columbine  as  ever  lived, 
she  was  that  refined  and  steadfast." 

David  gave  his  promise,  strangely  touched  by  this 
second  appeal  to  the  birthright  that  placed  him,  though 
helpless  and  dependent,  on  a  plane  so  far  above  that 
of  his  present  associates  that  even  the  most  scornful 


SOMETHING   ABOUT    THE    BRADDOCKS     95 

of  them  felt  the  distinction.  He  recalled  the  profane 
respectfulness  of  the  boss  canvasman  earlier  in  the  day 
—  a  condition  which  would  have  astonished  that  worthy 
beyond  description  if  he  had  had  the  least  idea  that 
he  was  respectful. 


CHAPTER    VI 

DAVID  JENISON'S  STORY 

DAVID'S  first  week  with  the  show  was  a  trying  one. 
In  the  first  place,  he  was  kept  so  carefully  under  cover, 
literally  as  well  as  figuratively,  that  he  seldom  saw  the 
light  of  day  except  at  dawn  or  through  the  space  be 
tween  sidewall  and  top.  At  night  he  rode  over  rough, 
muddy  roads  in  the  tableau  wagon,  stiff  and  sore  from 
the  violent  exercise  of  the  day,  —  for  he  was  training 
in  earnest  to  become  a  clown.  He  was  learning  the 
clown's  songs,  and  singing  with  the  chorus  in  such 
pieces  as  "  I  '11  never  Kiss  my  Love  again  behind  the 
Kitchen  Door,"  "  Paddle  your  own  Canoe,"  and  others 
in  Joey's  repertory. 

Throughout  the  forlorn,  disquieting  days  he  stayed 
close  to  the  dressing-tent,  always  in  dread  of  the  mo 
ment  when  Blake  or  some  other  minion  of  the  law  would 
clap  him  on  the  shoulder  and  end  the  agony  of  sus 
pense.  Blake,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  more  than  once 
came  near  to  finding  his  quarry.  Twice,  at  least,  David 
was  smuggled  out  of  sight  just  in  time  to  avoid  an 
encounter  with  his  stubborn  pursuer. 

At  last,  after  five  days,  Blake  gave  it  up  and  turned 
back  to  Virginia,  hastened  somewhat  by  the  cleverly 
exploited  newspaper  strategy  of  George  Simms,  the 
show's  press  agent.  Simms  managed  it  so  that  a 
press  dispatch  came  out  of  Richmond  in  which  it  was 
said  on  excellent  authority  that  the  boy  had  been 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  97 

seen  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  old  home  within  the 
week,  and  that  posses  were  now  engaged  in  a  neighbor 
hood  hunt  for  him.  Blake  was  fooled  by  it. 

After  it  became  definitely  known  to  Simms  that  Blake 
was  back  in  Richmond  with  his  assistant,  David  was 
permitted  to  emerge  gradually  from  his  seclusion. 
The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  go  with  Joey  Grinaldi 
to  a  savings  bank  where,  under  the  name  of  John 
Snipe,  he  deposited  two  thousand  dollars,  retaining  five 
hundred  for  emergencies.  Part  of  this  he  turned  over 
to  the  clown,  part  to  Ruby  and  the  rest  to  the  trusty 
contortionist.  Twice  during  the  week  Braddock  bul 
lied  him  into  giving  up  twenty-five  dollars  to  "  fix  it  " 
with  town  officials.  At  least  once  a  day  he  was  im 
portuned  to  deliver  the  "  leather  "  into  the  safe  keeping 
of  the  proprietor,  who  solemnly  promised  that  it  would 
be  returned.  Moreover,  in  drunken  magnanimity,  he 
guaranteed  to  pay  three  per  cent  interest  while  the 
money  was  in  his  ticket-wagon  safe,  sealed  and  invio 
late  if  needs  be.  On  the  subtle  advice  of  Joey  Noakes 
David  did  not  tell  Braddock  that  he  had  deposited 
the  money ;  it  would  have  been  like  the  "  boss  "  to  fly 
into  a  rage  and  deliver  him  up  to  the  authorities. 

Braddock  drank  hard  during  the  days  following  the 
departure  of  Colonel  Grand,  who  stayed  with  the  show 
no  longer  than  twenty-four  hours  —  an  unusually 
brief  visit,  according  to  Joey. 

The  rainy  weather  continued  and  business  got  worse 
and  worse.  There  was  an  air  of  downright  gloom 
about  the  circus.  Men,  women  and  children  were  in  the 
"  dumps,"  a  most  unnatural  condition  to  exist  among 
these  whilom,  light-hearted  adventurers.  When  they 
lifted  up  their  heads,  it  was  to  deliver  continuous 
anathemas  to  the  leaden  skies ;  when  they  allowed  them 
to  droop,  it  was  to  curse  the  soggy  earth. 

7 


98  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

The  new  clown  saw  but  little  of  Mrs.  Braddock  and 
Christine.  Braddock's  failure  to  extract  money  from 
him  made  that  worthy  so  disagreeable  that  his  wife  and 
daughter  were  in  mortal  terror  of  his  threats  to  turn 
the  boy  adrift  if  he  caught  them  "  coddling  "  him. 

David's  close  associates  were  the  Noakeses,  the  con 
tortionist  and  two  or  three  rather  engaging  acrobats. 
As  for  the  women  of  the  company,  he  had  but  little 
to  do  with  them,  except  in  the  most  perfunctory  way. 
He  was  always  polite,  gallant  and  agreeable,  and  they 
made  much  over  him  when  the  opportunity  presented 
itself.  They  were  warm-hearted  and  demonstrative, 
sometimes  to  such  an  exaggerated  degree  that  he  was 
embarrassed.  He  was  some  time  in  getting  accustomed 
to  their  effusive  friendliness ;  it  dawned  on  him  at  last 
that  they  were  not  graceless,  flippant  creatures,  but 
big-hearted,  honest  women,  in  whom  tradition  had 
planted  the  value  of  virtue.  He  was  not  long  in  form 
ing  an  unqualified  respect  for  them;  it  was  not  neces 
sary  for  Joey  Grinaldi  to  tell  him  over  and  over  again 
that  they  were  good  women. 

If  Christine  saw  him  while  she  was  in  the  ring, 
David  was  never  able  to  determine  the  fact  for  himself. 
He  tried  to  catch  her  eye  a  hundred  times  a  day;  he 
looked  for  a  single  smile  that  he  might  have  claimed 
for  his  own.  Once  he  caught  her  in  his  arms  when 
she  stumbled  after  leaping  from  the  horse  at  the  end 
of  her  act.  It  was  very  gracefully  done  on  his  part. 
She  whispered  "  Thank  you,"  but  did  not  smile,  and 
therein  he  was  exalted.  There  was  no  day  in  which 
he  failed  to  perform  some  simple  act  of  gallantry  for 
her  and  Mrs.  Braddock,  always  with  an  unobtrusive 
modesty  that  pleased  them.  Sometimes  he  left  spring 
flowers  for  them;  on  other  occasions  he  bought  sweet 
meats  and  pastry  in  the  towns  and  smuggled  them  into 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  99 

their  hands,  not  without  a  conscious  glow  of  embarrass 
ment  and  guilt.  He  was  ever  ready  to  seize  upon  the 
slightest  excuse  to  be  of  service  to  them,  despite  the 
fact  that  they  resolutely  held  aloof  from  him.  The 
entire  company  of  performers  understood  the  situation 
and  cultivated  a  rather  malicious  delight  in  abetting 
his  clandestine  courtesies. 

It  was  no  other  than  the  queen  of  equestrians,  Made 
moiselle  Denise  (in  reality  an  Irish  woman  with  three 
children  who  attended  school  and  a  husband  who  never 
had  attended  one,  although  he  was  an  exceptionally  bril 
liant  man  when  it  came  to  head  balancing)  —  it  was 
Denise  who,  one  rainy  evening,  brought  Christine  and 
David  together  between  performances  in  a  most  satisfy 
ing  manner  by  taking  the  former  to  visit  a  fortune-teller 
whose  home  was  quite  a  distance  from  the  show  lot, 
first  having  sent  David  there  on  a  perfectly  plausible 
pretext.  The  young  people  met  on  the  sidewalk  in 
front  of  the  house  bearing  the  number  Mademoiselle 
Denise  had  given  to  David.  To  say  that  he  was  sur 
prised  at  seeing  Christine  under  the  same  umbrella  with 
the  older  woman  would  be  putting  it  very  tamely ;  to 
add  that  both  of  them  were  shy  and  uneasy  is  certainly 
superfluous.  Moreover,  when  I  say  that  David  was 
obliged  to  inform  Mademoiselle  Denise  that  she  had 
given  him  the  wrong  number ;  that  a  hod-carrier  instead 
of  a  sorceress  dwelt  within,  —  when  I  say  this,  you  may 
have  an  idea  that  there  was  no  fortune-teller  in  the 
beginning.  And  then,  when  the  head-balancing  hus 
band  suddenly  appeared  and  walked  off  with  Denise, 
leaving  the  embarrassed  youngsters  to  follow  at  any 
pace  they  chose,  you  may  be  quite  certain  that  there 
was  a  conspiracy  afoot. 

Christine  walked  demurely  beside  David,  under  a 
rigid  umbrella.  They  were  seven  blocks  from  the 


100  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

circus  lot;  it  was  quite  dark  and  drizzly.  For  the 
first  two  blocks  they  had  nothing  to  say  to  each  other, 
except  to  venture  the  information  that  it  was  raining. 
In  the  second  block,  a  very  lonely  stretch  indeed,  David, 
whose  eyes  had  not  left  the  backs  of  the  wily  couple 
ahead,  regained  his  composure  and  with  it  his  natural 
gallantry. 

"  Perhaps    you   had   better   take   my    arm,   Miss  — 
Miss  Christine,"  he  said  stiffly. 

She  took  it,  rather  awkwardly  perhaps  but  very 
resolutely. 

"  I  thought  I  heard  something  in  the  bushes  back 
there,"  she  said  in  extenuation. 

"  It  was  the  wind,"  he  vouchsafed,  but  his  thoughts 
went  at  once  to  Blake.  Involuntarily  he  looked  over 
his  shoulder  and  quickened  his  pace.  She  felt  his  arm 
stiffen. 

"  I  'm  quite  sure  it  was  a  cow,"  she  said. 

"  Are  you  afraid  of  cows  ?  " 

"  Dreadfully." 

"  And  you  're  not  afraid  of  elephants  or  camels  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no ;  they  're  tame."  She  seemed  in  doubt 
as  to  the  wisdom  of  expressing  aloud  the  thoughts 
that  troubled  her.  Twice  she  peered  up  into  the  face 
of  her  companion.  Then  she  resolutely  delivered  her 
self.  "  I  do  hope  father  won't  see  us,  David." 

"  You  poor  girl,"  he  cried  gently.  "  I  'm  sorry  if 
this  gets  you  into  trouble.  Denise  did  n't  tell  me. 
She  —  " 

"  Oh,  Denise  did  it  on  purpose,"  she  said,  quite 
glibly.  "  I  suppose  she  thinks  we  're  going  to  fall  in 
love  with  each  other." 

David  was  grateful  to  the  darkness.  It  hid  his 
blush  of  confusion. 

"  But  that 's  perfectly  silly,"  went  on  the  soft  voice 


101 

at  his  elbow.  "  I  just  want  to  be  your  friend,  David. 
My  mother  adores  you.  So  do  I,  but  in  just  the  same 
way  that  she  does.  I  —  I  could  n't  think  of  being  so 
ridiculous  as  to  fall  in  love  with  you." 

He  resented  this.  "  I  don't  see  why  you  say  that," 
he  said,  rather  stiffly.  "  But,"  very  hastily,  "  I  'm 
not  asking  you  to  do  it.  Please  don't  misunderstand 
me.  I  —  " 

"  Mother  and  I  are  so  sorry  for  you,  David,"  she 
went  on  earnestly.  "  We  —  we  don't  believe  a  word  of 
—  of  —  well,  you  know."  She  was  suddenly  distressed. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  I  'm  not  guilty  ?  "  he  cried 
bitterly.  "  You  have  only  my  word  for  it.  Of  course, 
I  'd  deny  it.  Anybody  would,  even  if  he  was  as  guilty 
as  sin.  I  —  I  might  have  done  it,  for  all  you  know." 

"  Oh,  don't  —  don't  talk  like  that,  David !  " 

"  Nearly  every  one  with  the  show  thinks  I  did  it. 
It  does  n't  matter  to  them,  either.  They  like  me 
just  as  well.  It's  —  it's  as  if  I  were  a  friendless, 
homeless  dog.  They  're  tender-hearted.  They  'd  do  as 
much  for  the  dog,  every  time.  I  like  them  for  it. 
I  '11  not  forget  everybody's  kindness  to  me  and  —  and 
their  indifference." 

"  Indifference,  David?  " 

"  Yes.  That 's  the  word.  It  does  n't  make  any  dif 
ference  what  I  am,  they  just  say  it's  all  right  and  — 
and  —  that 's  all." 

She  caught  the  intensely  bitter  note  in  his  voice. 
Christine  was  young,  but  she  had  fine  perceptions.  Her 
lip  trembled. 

"  Nobody  thinks  you  did  it,"  she  cried  in  a  vehement 
undertone.  "  Even  father  —  "  She  stopped  abruptly, 
a  quick  catch  of  compunction  in  her  breath. 

"  If  he  thinks  I  'm  innocent,  why  is  he  so  set  on 
keeping  me  from  talking  to  you  or  your  mother? " 


102  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

he  demanded  quickly,  a  sudden  fire  entering  his  brain. 
"  That  does  n't  look  as  if  he  thinks  I  'm  all  right,  does 
it?  I'm  —  I'm  not  a  low-down  person.  If  I  was, 
I  could  see  a  reason.  But  I  'm  a  gentleman.  Every 
man  in  my  family  has  been  a  gentleman  since  —  oh, 
you  '11  think  I  'm  boasting.  I  did  n't  mean  to  say  this 
to  you.  It  sounds  snobbish.  No,  Christine,  your 
father  thinks  I  'm  guilty." 

"  He  does  not !  "  she  whispered.  "  I  know  he  does  n't. 
I  've  heard  him  argue  with  mother  about  you.  He  has 
told  her  that  he  does  not  believe  that  you  killed  your 
grandfather.  I  've  heard  him  say  it,  David.  He  — 
he  is  only  thinking  of  —  must  I  say  it?  Of  the  dis 
grace  to  us  if  you  should  be  caught  and  it  came  out 
we  were  your  friends.  That 's  it.  He  's  thinking  of  us, 
David.  It  is  so  foolish  of  him.  We  both  have  told 
him  so.  But  —  but  you  don't  know  my  father." 
There  was  a  world  of  meaning  in  that  declaration  — 
and  it  was  not  disrespectful,  either. 

David  was  discreetly  silent.  He  was  quelling  the  rage 
that  always  rose  in  his  heart  when  he  thought  of 
Thomas  Braddock's  attitude,  not  only  toward  him 
but  toward  his  wife. 

"  I  wish  he  would  n't  look  at  it  in  that  way,  David," 
she  resumed  plaintively.  "  We  —  we  would  be  so 
happy  if  you  could  be  with  us,  —  that  is,  more  than 
you  are."  She  was  stammering,  but  not  from  embar 
rassment.  It  was  in  the  fear  of  saying  something  that 
might  touch  his  sensitive  pride. 

"  I  —  I  love  your  mother,"  he  cried  intensely. 
"  She  's  the  best  woman  I  've  ever  known  —  except  my 
own  mother.  She  's  better  than  my  aunts  —  yes,  she 
is!  Better  than  all  of  them.  I  could  die  for  her." 

She  clutched  his  arm  tightly  but  said  nothing.  The 
words  could  not  break  through  the  sobs  that  were  in 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  103 

her  throat.  Neither  spoke  for  a  matter  of  a  hundred 
feet  or  more.  Then  he  said  to  her,  rather  drearily: 

"  Did  you  read  what  the  papers  said  about  the  — 
the  murder,  and  about  me  ?  " 

"  No.  Mother  will  not  let  me  read  the  things  about 
crime.  But,"  she  said  quickly,  "  she  has  told  me  all 
about  it  since  you  came." 

"  They  made  me  out  to  be  a  vicious  degenerate  and 
an  ingrate,"  he  said.  "  Oh,  it  was  horrible,  —  the 
things  they  said  about  me.  Just  as  if  they  knew  I 
was  guilty.  But,  Christine,  I  am  going  to  make  them 
take  it  all  back.  I  'm  going  to  make  them  apologize 
some  day,  see  if  I  don't."  The  fierce  agony  in  his 
voice  moved  her  greatly. 

"  Oh,  if  I  could  help  you !  "  she  cried  tremulously. 

He  apparently  did  not  hear  the  eager  words. 

"  It  all  looked  so  black  against  me,"  he  went  on, 
looking  straight  ahead  unseeingly.  "  Perhaps  I 
should  n't  blame  them.  I  have  thought  it  all  out,  lots 
of  times,  Christine,  and  I  've  tried  to  put  myself  in  their 
place.  Sometimes  I  think  that  if  I  were  not  myself  I 
should  certainly  believe  myself  guilty.  It  did  point  to 
me,  every  bit  of  it,  Christine.  And  I  am  as  innocent 
as  a  little  baby.  If  —  if  they  catch  me  they  '11  hang 


me 


"  No,  no  !  "  she  shuddered. 

"  Does  n't  it  look  to  you  as  if  I  really  had  done  it?  " 
he  demanded.  "  Tell  the  truth,  Christine.  From  what 
you  have  heard,  would  n't  you  say  it  looked  as  if  I  were 
guilty?" 

She  hesitated,  frightened,  distressed.  "  The  papers 
did  not  tell  the  truth,  David,"  she  said  loyally. 

"  They  hunted  for  me  with  bloodhounds,"  he  went  on 
vaguely.  "  If  they  had  caught  me  then,  I  would  have 
been  strung  up  and  shot  to  pieces.  You  see,"  turning 


104  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

to  her  with  a  gentle  note  in  his  voice,  "  my  grand 
father  was  very  much  beloved.  He  was  the  very  finest 
man  in  all  the  state.  I  have  sworn  to  avenge  his  death. 
I  swear  it  every  night  —  every  night,  Christine.  First, 
I  'm  going  to  clear  myself  of  the  —  the  hideous  thing. 
And  then !  "  There  was  a  world  of  promise  in  those  two 
words. 

"  You  have  said  that  there  is  a  man  who  can  clear 
you,"  she  ventured.  "  Who  is  he,  David?  Where  is  he 
to  be  found?  Why  does  n't  he  step  forward  and  clear 
you?  " 

"I  —  I  don't  know  where  he  is.  In  New  York,  I 
think.  He  —  he  was  sent  out  of  the  country  by  —  by 
some  one.  Do  you  want  to  hear  my  side,  Christine?  " 

"  Do  you  —  care  to  speak  of  it,  David?  " 

"  Yes.  You  will  understand.  You  are  good.  I 
want  you  to  tell  your  mother,  too."  He  slackened  his 
pace.  Both  forgot  that  the  hour  for  the  "  tourna 
ment  "  was  drawing  perilously  near.  "  I  lived  with  my 
grandfather,  Colonel  Jenison.  My  father  was  killed  at 
Shiloh.  My  mother  died  when  I  was  nine  years  old.  I 
had  one  uncle,  my  father's  younger  brother.  He  was 
an  officer  in  the  Southern  army,  just  as  my  father  was. 
He  gave  my  grandfather  trouble  all  of  his  life.  They 
say  it  was  his  wild  habits  that  drove  my  grandmother 
to  her  grave.  I  knew  him  but  slightly.  When  the  war 
was  two  years  old,  he  was  courtmartialed  for  treason  to 
the  cause.  The  story  was  that  he  had  been  caught  trying 
to  sell  some  plans  to  the  enemy.  He  was  sentenced  to 
be  shot.  It  was  very  clear  against  him,  my  mother  told 
me  on  one  of  the  rare  occasions  when  his  name  was  men 
tioned.  But  he  escaped  during  a  sudden,  overwhelming 
attack  by  the  Yanks.  They  never  caught  him.  My 
grandfather,  who  had  been  a  colonel  in  the  war  with 
Mexico  and  had  lost  an  arm,  disowned  him  as  a  son. 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  105 

He  disinherited  him,  leaving  everything  to  my  father. 
When  my  father  was  killed  I  became  the  heir  to  Jenison 
Hall  and  all  that  went  with  it,  —  a  vast  estate. 

"  A  year  ago  my  uncle  Frank  turned  up.  He  came 
to  Richmond  with  proof  that  cleared  him  of  the  charge 
of  treason  in  the  minds  of  his  old  comrades.  Three 
men  on  their  deathbeds  had  signed  affidavits,  showing 
that  they  were  guilty  of  the  very  thing  of  which  he 
was  accused,  he  being  an  innocent  dupe  in  the  trans 
action.  I  don't  know  just  how  it  all  came  about, 
but  he  was  exonerated  completely.  With  this  to  back 
him  up,  he  came  to  the  Hall  to  plead  for  my  grand 
father's  forgiveness.  He  came  many  times,  and  finally 
it  seems  that  grandfather  believed  his  story.  Uncle 
Frank  took  up  his  residence  at  the  Hall.  I  hated  him 
from  the  beginning.  He  was  a  wicked  man  and  always 
had  been.  I  don't  believe  what  the  affidavits  said. 

"  Well,  he  soon  learned  that  I  was  to  be  the  heir. 
Everybody  knew  it.  I  was  at  the  University.  Grand 
father  had  sent  me  there.  It  was  my  second  year,  for 
I  had  gone  in  very  young.  When  I  went  home  for  the 
Christmas  holidays,  Uncle  Frank  was  practically  run 
ning  the  place.  Grandfather  did  n't  really  trust  him, 
I  'm  sure  of  that.  They  had  a  couple  of  violent  scenes 
New  Year's  week  up  in  the  library.  It  was  something 
about  money.  Grandfather  told  me  a  little  about  it, 
but  not  much.  He  said  Uncle  Frank  wanted  him  to 
change  his  will,  claiming  it  was  not  fair  to  him,  who 
had  been  so  wrongfully  accused.  My  grandfather  told 
me  that  he  would  never  change  it.  He  might  leave  a 
certain  amount  in  trust  for  Uncle  Frank,  but  Jenison 
Hall  was  not  to  go  to  any  Jenison  whose  name  had 
ever  been  blackened. 

"  One  day  I  went  up  to  Richmond  to  spend  the  night 
with  some  college  friends.  My  uncle  Frank  was  al- 


106  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

ready  there,  on  business  he  said.  Well,  I  found  out 
what  his  business  was  —  accidentally,  of  course.  He 
was  there  to  see  a  nigger  lawyer !  Think  of  that,  Chris 
tine.  A  Jenison  having  dealings  with  a  nigger  lawyer. 
This  lawyer  had  once  been  a  slave  on  the  Jenison  place, 
a  yellow  boy  whose  name  was  Isaac  —  Isaac  Perry. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  went  with  my  uncle  as  his 
body-servant.  He  was  a  smart,  thieving  fellow,  —  al 
ways  too  smart  to  be  caught,  but  always  under  suspi 
cion.  My  grandfather  had  given  him  some  schooling 
because  Isaac's  father  was  his  body-servant  and  he  would 
have  done  anything  for  old  Abraham.  After  the  war 
Isaac  was  made  a  lawyer,  'way  down  in  South  Caro 
lina.  The  judges  were  darkies,  they  say.  Later  on 
he  went  to  Richmond  and  did  some  business  for  the 
darkies  there,  besides  conducting  a  barber  shop. 

"  Well,  I  happened  to  go  into  his  shop  the  evening 
I  reached  Richmond.  He  was  shaving  Uncle  Frank. 
They  did  not  observe  me  as  I  sat  back  along  the  wall. 
I  heard  him  tell  Uncle  Frank  he  would  surely  come  to 
the  hotel  that  night  to  see  him.  Uncle  Frank  said  it 
was  important  and  asked  him  to  be  sure  and  bring  the 
papers.  He  left  the  shop  without  seeing  me,  and 
Isaac  had  forgotten  me,  I  reckon.  I  wondered  what 
business  he  and  my  uncle  could  have  to  discuss.  That 
night  I  made  it  a  point  to  be  at  the  hotel.  I  saw 
Uncle  Frank  standing  out  in  front.  When  Isaac  came 
up  he  took  him  off  down  the  street.  I  heard  him  say 
to  Isaac  that  the  hotel  was  not  a  good  place  for  a 
nigger  to  be  seen,  except  as  a  servant,  even  if  he  did 
come  as  a  lawyer.  So  they  went  back  to  the  barber 
shop,  which  was  closed.  Isaac  opened  the  doors  and 
they  went  in.  The  blinds  were  shut.  I  waited  until 
Uncle  Frank  came  out,  an  hour  later.  He  said  to 
Isaac,  who  came  no  farther  than  the  door,  that  he 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  107 

would  be  up  again  in  about  ten  days  to  see  how  he  was 
*  getting  on  with  it.'  Isaac  said  he  'd  have  it  fixed  up 
'  so  slick  that  it  would  fool  the  old  man  hisself.' 

"  When  I  went  back  to  Jenison  Hall  I  tried  to  tell 
grandfather  about  all  this,  but  I  did  n't  do  it.  I 
could  n't  bear  the  thought  of  carrying  tales.  I  went 
back  to  school,  but  I  could  n't  get  the  thing  out  of  my 
head." 

Christine  interrupted  him,  intense  almost  to  breath- 
lessness. 

"  They  —  they  were  fixing  up  a  new  will !  "  she  whis 
pered,  vastly  excited. 

He  smiled  wanly.  "  I  wish  I  could  prove  that. 
About  three  weeks  ago  I  had  a  message  from  Uncle 
Frank,  saying  that  grandfather  was  quite  ill.  I  was 
to  come  home.  When  I  got  to  the  Hall  grandfather 
was  much  better,  and  seemed  annoyed  because  my  uncle 
had  brought  me  home  unnecessarily.  That  very  night 
he  was  murdered." 

"  Oh !  "    she  whispered. 

"  He  was  shot  by  some  one  who  fired  through  the 
parlor  window.  It  happened  at  half-past  eleven 
o'clock,  a  most  unusual  time  for  grandfather  to  be 
about.  He  was  fully  dressed  when  they  found  him  a 
few  minutes  after  the  shooting.  A  heavy  charge  of 
buckshot  had  struck  him  in  the  breast.  I  —  I  can't  tell 
you  any  more  about  that.  It  was  too  horrible." 

"  I  know,  I  know !    Poor  David !  " 

"  I  was  studying  in  my  room  up  to  a  short  time  be 
fore  the  shot  was  fired.  The  house  was  very  still. 
Uncle  Frank  was  downstairs  with  granddaddy.  I 
could  n't  imagine  what  kept  them  up  so  long,  talking. 
Finally  I  heard  Uncle  Frank  go  upstairs  to  his  room. 
Grandfather  was  pacing  the  parlor  floor ;  I  could  hear 
the  stumping.  Finally  he  came  out  in  the  hall  and 


108  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

called  to  me.  I  hurried  downstairs.  He  was  very  much 
agitated.  '  David,'  he  said,  '  do  you  remember  a  darky 
we  used  to  have  named  Isaac?'  I  was  startled. 
'  Well,  he  has  become  a  lawyer  up  in  Richmond.  He 
has  done  very  well,  and  I  want  you  to  know  what  I 
have  done  for  him.  You  are  to  own  this  place  some 
day  —  soon,  I  fear.  I  have  signed  a  paper  to-night, 
deeding  over  to  Isaac  the  little  five-acre  patch  on  the 
creek  where  he  was  born  and  where  his  father  and 
grandfather  were  born.  He  saw  your  uncle  Frank  in 
Richmond  recently  and  asked  him  if  it  would  be  pos 
sible  for  him  to  buy  the  ground.  He  wants  to  put  up 
a  building  to  be  known  as  the  Old  Negroes'  Home.  I 
have  thought  it  over.  I  did  not  sell  it  to  him,  David. 
I  gave  it  to  him.  It  is  all  quite  regular  and  legal. 
The  paper  is  in  that  drawer  there.  You  are  taking 
the  law  course  at  the  university.  I  want  you  to  look 
over  the  agreement  to-night  or  to-morrow  morning, 
before  it  is  taken  over  to  the  county  seat.  It  is  just 
as  well  that  you,  who  are  to  be  the  next  master  of 
Jenison  Hall,  should  understand  all  that  there  is  in  it.* 

"  *  Has  Isaac  Perry  been  here?  '  I  asked,  for  I  was 
strangely  troubled.  *  He  has,'  said  granddaddy,  *  he 
brought  the  document  over  this  evening.  Isaac  seems 
likely  to  make  something  of  himself,  after  all.'  '  I  will 
read  it  in  the  morning,'  I  said,  and  then  I  told  him  that 
I  was  glad  that  he  had  given  the  ground.  '  Your  uncle 
Frank  advised  me  to  tell  you  of  it  to-night,'  said  he. 

"  I  went  upstairs  to  my  work,  leaving  him  below. 
Soon  afterwards  I  went  down  again  to  get  the  paper, 
feeling  that  I  might  as  well  read  it  before  going  to 
bed.  He  was  reading  in  the  back  parlor.  I  got  the 
envelope  out  of  the  drawer  in  the  front  room  and  went 
back  upstairs  without  disturbing  him.  A  minute  after 
wards  I  heard  the  shot.  My  own  gun  was  standing  in 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  109 

the  corner.  I  grabbed  it  up  and  crawled  through  a 
window  on  to  the  gallery,  running  down  the  back 
steps.  As  I  reached  the  bottom  I  saw  a  man  climbing 
over  the  fence  to  the  right.  Not  dreaming  that  a 
tragedy  had  occurred,  I  rushed  after  him.  He  easily 
got  away  in  the  darkness.  Then  I  returned  to  the 
house.  As  I  came  near  I  saw  Isaac  Perry  —  unmis 
takably  Isaac  Perry  —  at  the  corner.  He  turned  and 
ran  the  instant  he  saw  me.  When  he  crossed  in  front 
of  the  lighted  parlor  windows  I  distinctly  saw  that  he 
did  not  carry  a  gun.  The  man  I  chased  had  one.  Just 
then  a  great  cry  came  from  the  parlor.  I  rushed  up 
to  the  window  to  look  within.  One  of  the  panes  of 
glass  had  been  broken. 

"  My  grandfather  was  lying  on  the  floor.  Two  of 
the  servants  were  standing  near,  looking  at  him  as  if 
paralyzed.  There  was  blood  on  his  white  shirt  front. 
Oh !  I  can't  tell  you  how  it  —  " 

He  could  not  continue  for  a  full  minute  or  more. 
The  girl  was  scarcely  breathing. 

"  I  just  stood  there  and  stared,  the  gun  in  my  hand. 
Suddenly  some  one  leaped  upon  me  from  behind.  It 
was  my  uncle  Frank  and  he  was  out  of  breath,  very 
much  excited.  *  You  little  devil ! '  he  yelled  two  or 
three  times.  Then  he  called  for  help.  Servants  came 
running  from  all  directions.  I  did  n't  know  what  he 
meant.  Soon  I  was  to  learn." 

"  He  —  he  thought  you  killed  him  ?  "  whispered 
Christine. 

"  He  said  I  killed  him.  I  was  dazed  —  I  was  crazy. 
It  was  a  long  time  before  I  realized  what  was  happening 
to  me.  The  —  the  servants  and  the  neighbors  who 
came  in  wanted  to  lynch  me  —  but  Judge  Gainsbor 
ough,  who  rode  over  in  his  night-clothes  from  his  plan 
tation,  prevailed  upon  them  to  wait  —  to  give  me  a 


110  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

hearing.  My  uncle  Frank  would  have  let  them  hang 
me.  I  began  at  last  to  realize  how  badly  it  looked  for 
me.  They  laughed  at  my  story  of  the  man  who  ran 
away.  My  uncle  Frank  deliberately  denied  that  Isaac 
Perry  had  been  there.  I  was  stupefied.  It  came  over 
me  suddenly  that  —  that  Uncle  Frank  had  done  the 
shooting.  He  had  killed  his  own  father ! " 

"  The  monster !  " 

"  How  wonderfully  everything  worked  out  against 
me.  The  gun,  with  one  barrel  empty,  for  I  had  fired 
it  that  very  day  in  the  woods ;  my  presence  at  the 
window ;  the  servants  who  saw  me  looking  in ;  my 
uncle  Frank's  tale  of  how  he  came  out  on  the  gallery 
above  and  saw  me  hiding  in  the  dead  lilac  bushes,  and 
afterwards  creep  up  to  the  window  to  look  in  upon  the 
thing  I  had  done.  He  told  of  my  attempt  to  run  and 
of  his  struggle  to  hold  me.  One  of  the  servants  had 
seen  me  go  down  when  granddaddy  called  to  me,  and 
again  he  had  seen  me  go  down  quietly  to  the  library 
after  the  paper.  I  did  go  quietly,  it  is  true,  so  as  not 
to  disturb  the  old  gentleman. 

"  They  all  rushed  upstairs  to  search  my  room. 
Lying  on  my  table  was  the  long  envelope.  Judge 
Gainsborough  opened  it,  so  he  says.  They  came  down 
stairs  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  look  of  horror  in  the 
Judge's  eyes  as  he  stood  there  staring  at  me. 
*  David,'  he  said,  '  this  is  a  terrible,  terrible  thing  you 
have  done.'  I  could  n't  speak.  *  How  did  you  know 
that  your  grandfather  had  made  this  new  will?  '  Chris 
tine,  the  —  the  paper  was  a  new  will,  giving  everything 
to  my  uncle  Frank,  excepting  a  small  bequest  in  money 
and  a  house  and  lot  in  Richmond,  which,  however,  was 
to  go  to  Uncle  Frank  in  case  of  my  death.  The  will 
looked  genuine  —  everybody  said  so  —  even  Judge 
Gainsborough.  It  had  been  drawn  three  weeks  before 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  111 

and  had  been  witnessed  by  George  Whitman,  who  died 
ten  days  after  signing,  and  Mortimer  Simms,  who, 
strangely  enough,  died  three  days  later." 

"  It  was  a  forgery  —  a  false  will? "  she  cried, 
trembling  violently  in  her  excitement. 

"  I  know  it  was  —  I  know  it.  My  grandfather  had 
told  me  of  the  deed.  This  was  the  envelope  and  the 
paper.  There  was  no  such  deed  to  be  found.  That 
makes  me  half  believe  that  he  did  sign  the  will,  think 
ing  it  was  something  else.  My  story  about  the  deed 
was  not  believed.  As  for  Isaac  Perry,  my  uncle  said 
that  he  left  for  New  York  soon  after  my  grandfather's 
visit  to  Richmond,  doubtless  when  the  will  was  drawn 
and  signed.  He  could  not  have  been  near  Jenison  Hall 
at  the  time  of  the  shooting.  Uncle  Frank  produced  a 
letter  from  Isaac,  received  that  very  day  from  New 
York,  in  which  he  said  that  he  was  going  to  Europe  as 
the  body-servant  of  a  New  York  gentleman  who  had 
helped  him  to  secure  an  education. 

"  They  locked  me  in  the  cellar  and  put  a  guard  over 
me  until  the  sheriff  could  come  up  in  the  morning. 
Christine,  there  was  n't  a  single  chance  for  me  to  prove 
my  innocence.  I  knew  that  Uncle  Frank  and  Isaac 
Perry  had  arranged  the  whole  devilish  plot  —  how 
nicely  they  arranged  it,  too !  It  worked  out  even  better 
than  they  expected,  for  I  unwittingly  damned  myself. 
I  never  can  tell  you  of  my  feelings  when  the  whole  thing 
became  clear  to  me.  I  must  leave  that  to  your  imagina 
tion.  I  was  as  innocent  as  a  babe,  and  yet,  in  the  eyes 
of  every  one,  as  guilty  as  ever  any  murderer  has  been 
in  this  world.  My  only  chance  to  escape  certain  hang 
ing  lay  in  escape.  It  was  after  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  when  I  began  to  think  of  flight.  I  made  up 
my  mind  that  I  could  never  hope  for  acquittal.  I 
thought  only  of  getting  away  from  them  and  then  de- 


112  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

voting  my  whole  life  to  finding  the  proof  of  my  inno 
cence.  Isaac  Perry  can  prove  it  —  or  my  uncle.  But, 
my  uncle  will  not  do  it  —  and  Isaac  is  not  to  be  found. 
I  discovered  that  when  I  reached  Richmond  two  nights 
afterwards.  He  had  left  nearly  three  weeks  before, 
never  to  return,  it  was  said. 

"  Well,  to  make  it  short,  I  hit  my  darky  guard  over 
the  head  with  a  chunk  of  stove-wood.  I  hated  to  do 
it,  but  it  was  the  only  chance.  You  can't  kill  a  nigger 
by  hitting  him  on  the  head.  Then  I  crawled  through  a 
small  hole  in  the  cellar  wall  into  the  potato  bins  beyond. 
From  there  I  could  easily  get  into  the  back  yard,  pro 
vided  no  one  was  watching.  They  were  all  on  the  other 
side  of  the  wing,  discussing  the  murder  —  and  me. 
They  said  I  'd  surely  be  lynched  the  next  night.  Oh, 
it  was  awful.  I  crawled  out  of  the  window  hole  and 
sneaked  off  toward  the  hen-houses,  below  the  old  slave 
building.  I  don't  know  when  they  missed  me.  I  only 
know  that  I  reached  the  woods  and  ran  and  ran  till 
I  thought  I  should  drop.  Some  other  time  I  will  tell 
you  of  all  I  went  through  during  the  next  week.  You 
won't  believe  a  lot  of  it,  I  know,  —  it  was  so  dreadful. 
There  were  a  good  many  times  when  I  was  ready  to  give 
up,  and  a  good  many  times  when  they  almost  had  me. 
God  helped  me,  though.  He  heard  my  prayers.  I  '11 
never  again  think  there  is  no  God,  as  a  lot  of  us  used 
to  think  at  the  University.  You  don't  know  the  agony 
of  dread  and  fear  in  which  I  'm  living  now.  Something 
tells  me  that  they  will  get  me  and  that  I  '11  never  have 
the  chance  to  find  Isaac  Perry,  to  force  him  to  tell  the 
truth." 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  find  him,  David,"  she  said,  but 
her  heart  was  very  cold. 

The  circus  tents  were  just  ahead  of  them  now.  The 
band  was  playing  and  people  were  hurrying  along  the 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  113 

poorly  lighted  streets,  sheltered  by  umbrellas,  all  bound 
for  the  "  grounds." 

David's  lips  were  rigid;  his  eyes  saw  nothing  of  the 
scene  ahead,  nor  were  his  ears  conscious  of  the  music. 

"  Christine,  I  am  going  to  kill  my  uncle  Frank,"  he 
said,  quite  calmly. 

"  Oh,  David !  " 

"  If  I  find  I  can't  clear  myself,  I  am  going  back 
there  and  shoot  him  down  like  a  dog  —  just  as  he  shot 
his  poor  old  fa — father."  His  body  shook  with  the 
racking  sobs  that  choked  him. 

"  You  must  not  do  that,"  she  implored,  terrified. 
"  Then  they  would  surely  hang  you." 

"  Ah,  but  I  would  n't  mind  it  then,"  he  said  between 
his  teeth. 

"  David,  you  must  let  mother  talk  with  you.  She 
can  tell  you  what  to  do.  Don't  think  of  —  of  that, 
please,  please  don't." 

He  turned  upon  her,  amazed.  "  Don't  you  think 
that  he  ought  to  be  killed?  "  he  demanded. 

"Can't  a  judge  order  him  to  be  hung?"  she  asked 
encouragingly. 

"  But  they  'd  never  be  able  to  prove  it  on  him. 
Christine,  I  —  I  would  n't  be  surprised  if  he  has  also 
killed  Isaac  Perry.  I  've  thought  of  that,  too.  Isaac 
is  too  dangerous  to  be  left  alive,  don't  you  see.  He 
drew  the  will  and  perhaps  forged  granddaddy's  name, 
and  also  that  of  George  Whitman,  after  Whitman's 
death.  Maybe  granddaddy  really  signed  the  will,  think 
ing  it  was  the  transfer.  I  —  " 

"  Do  you  think  your  uncle  wanted  you  to  be  hanged 
for  something  you  did  n't  do,  —  for  a  murder  he  com 
mitted  himself?  " 

"  Why  not  ?  I  was  in  the  way.  If  they  lynched  me 
at  once,  he  could  feel  very  secure.  Besides,  he  knew 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

of  the  other  will,  dated  years  ago,  which  is  in  the  bank 
at  Richmond.  Of  course,  the  fraudulent  will  takes  the 
place  of  the  old  one." 

David  did  not  then  tell  her  of  his  stealthy  return 
to  Jenison  Hall  two  nights  after  his  flight  and  before 
the  funeral.  On  this  occasion  he  not  only  secured  the 
envelope  containing  the  three  thousand  dollars,  hidden 
in  his  mother's  black  leather  trunk,  but  from  a  place 
of  concealment  he  was  forced  to  hear  such  damning 
talk  regarding  himself  that  he  again  stole  away,  fully 
convinced  that  his  wild  design  to  charge  his  uncle  with 
the  crime  would  be  absolutely  suicidal. 

A  sharp  exclamation  from  the  girl  brought  him  out 
of  his  last  fit  of  abstraction.  They  were  quite  near  to 
the  tents. 

"  We  are  late,"  she  cried  nervously.  "  I  did  n't  think 
of  the  time.  The  band  is  playing  the  waltz  —  that 's 
the  second  piece  before  the  tournament.  We  must 
hurry.  Oh,  I  do  hope  father  has  not  missed  us !  " 

There  was  abject  terror  in  her  voice. 

"  I  'm  so  sorry,"  he  murmured,  apprehending  the  out 
come  for  her  alone.  "  We  must  make  for  the  rear  of 
the  dressing-tent.  Hurry,  Christine." 

They  broke  into  a  run,  intending  to  make  a  wide 
circuit  of  the  main-tops.  She  was  breathless  with 
anxiety.  He  grasped  her  arm  to  help  her  across  the 
rough  ground. 

"  If  he  knew,  he  would  drive  you  away,"  she  cried. 
She  was  not  thinking  of  herself. 

Near  the  dressing-tent  they  were  met  by  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock,  who  had  started  out  to  look  for  them. 

"  Hurry,"  she  whispered.  "  Go  in  on  the  other  side, 
Jack  —  quickly.  Come  this  way,  Christine.  Your 
father  is  coming  back  through  the  main-top.  Mr. 
Briggs  and  Professor  Hanson  are  detaining  him  near 


DAVID    JENISON'S    STORY  115 

the  band  section  —  talking  of  a  change  in  the  music. 
Oh,  I  've  been  so  nervous !  " 

"  Good-by,  David,"  whispered  Christine,  as  she  flew 
to  the  sidewall.  An  instant  later  she  disappeared,  cast 
ing  a  quick  glance  up  into  his  face  as  he  gallantly  lifted 
the  canvas  for  her  to  pass  under. 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  he  murmured  impulsively  to  Mrs. 
Braddock  as  she  followed.  Then  he  raced  around  the 
tent  and  bolted  under  the  wall  into  the  men's  section. 

Joey  Grinaldi  simply  glared  at  him., 

In  two  minutes  he  was  out  of  his  clothes  and  begin 
ning  to  slip  into  the  stripes. 

"  Here  's  Brad,"  hissed  a  friendly  "  Courtier,"  call 
ing  in  through  the  flap,  beyond  which  a  dozen  men 
and  women  were  waiting  to  make  the  grand  entree,  or 
"  tournament." 

Braddock  came  in,  his  cigar  wallowing  in  the  throes 
of  a  vacuous  but  conciliatory  smile.  Every  one  stood 
ready  for  a  shocking  display  of  profanity. 

"  Jacky,"  he  said,  with  amiable  disregard  for  the 
novice's  tardiness,  "  would  you  mind  letting  me  take 
fifty  dollars  until  to-morrow?  There's  a  guy  out  here 
that  threatens  to  attach  us  if  I  don't  settle  an  out 
rageous  bill  for  feed  and  provisions.  I  'm  just  forty- 
eight  fifty  short." 

No  one  spoke.  David  did  not  even  glance  at  Grinaldi 
or  the  others.  He  knew  and  they  knew  that  there  was 
no  such  claim  against  Braddock.  He  hesitated  for  an 
instant  only.  Then  it  was  borne  in  upon  him  that 
Braddock  may  have  heard  of  his  walk  with  Christine 
and  was  demanding  tribute. 

He  picked  up  his  coat  and  deliberately  drew  from 
the  lining  a  thin,  folded  bit  of  paper.  It  contained 
all  the  money  that  was  in  his  possession  at  the  time. 
He  counted  off  five  ten-dollar  bills,  replaced  the  re- 


116  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

maining  thirty  dollars  inside  his  striped  shirt,  and 
handed  the  tribute  to  Braddock. 

"  You  're  a  damn'  fine  boy,  Jacky,"  said  the  man. 
"  I  '11  not  forget  this." 

Later  on  he  demonstrated  the  sincerity  of  the  remark. 

He  came  back  when  the  show  was  half  over,  and  with 
vast  good  nature  took  David  over  to  where  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock  and  Christine  were  standing  with  wonder  and 
doubt  in  their  faces. 

"  I  guess  it 's  all  right  for  us  four  to  see  a  little 
more  of  each  other,"  he  said,  but  he  did  not  look  at 
his  wife.  "  Jacky,  you  rascal,  you  are  a  gentleman,  and 
as  such  I  introduce  you  to  my  family.  Let 's  all  be 
friends." 

Mrs.  Braddock's  face  went  white.  She  understood 
the  motive  of  the  man.  He  meant  to  follow  new  methods 
in  the  effort  to  secure  possession  of  David's  money. 

Christine  beamed  with  delight.  She  kissed  her  father's 
stubbly  cheek  and  called  him  a  darling! 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    BROTHERS    CRONK 

"  DON'T  you  tell  'im  you  've  stuck  that  money  away 
in  a  bank,"  was  all  that  Joey  Grinaldi  said  when  David 
told  him  of  Braddock's  sudden  change  of  front.  It 
was  a  sentient  bit  of  advice,  showing  that  the  wool  was 
not  to  be  pulled  over  Joey's  eyes. 

"  I  think  I  understand,"  said  David  gloomily.  "  But 
what  am  I  to  say  to  him?  " 

"  Don't  peep.  Leave  it  to  me.  I  '11  tell  'im  that 
you  're  talking  of  putting  most  of  it  into  the  business 
after  you  get  safely  over  into  Indiana  or  Illinois. 
That  '11  stave  'im  off.  But  he 's  going  to  'ave  that 
money,  one  way  or  another,  my  lad.  That 's  wot 's  on 
'is  mind." 

The  next  morning,  just  after  the  parade,  David  went 
off  for  a  walk  in  the  town.  His  thoughts  were  of  the 
evening  before  and  the  half-hour  he  had  spent  with 
Christine.  He  was  thinking  of  her  wonderfully  sym 
pathetic  eyes,  of  the  live  touch  of  her  hand  on  his  arm, 
of  the  soft  music  in  her  voice,  of  the  delicious  words  of 
faith  and  confidence  she  had  whispered.  He  could  still 
feel  the  tight  clasp  of  her  fingers  on  his  arm ;  he  could 
still  hear  the  tremulous  note  in  her  voice. 

And  how  gravely  she  had  smiled  at  him  in  the  ring! 
What  a  profession  of  deep  loyalty  there  was  in  the 
glance  she  gave  him  when  he  passed  her  in  the  dressing- 
tent  !  The  world  seemed  to  have  grown  brighter  for  him 
all  of  a  sudden.  For  the  first  time  in  weeks  he  whistled, 


118  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

—  and  it  was  a  blithe  air  that  he  lilted,  for,  by  nature, 
he  was  a  blithe  lad. 

His  reverie  was  abruptly  disturbed.  Turning  a  cor 
ner  he  came  upon  a  group  of  town  boys.  They  were 
making  faces  and  hooting  at  a  strange  figure  that 
crouched  against  a  high  board  fence.  David  recalled 
this  figure  at  once:  a  squat,  hunchback  lad  who  was  to 
be  seen  at  times  behind  the  counter  of  the  "  snack 
stand."  More  than  once  had  the  strong,  straight  Vir 
ginian  gazed  with  a  certain  pity  upon  the  pale-faced 
cripple.  He  had  been  struck  by  the  look  of  patient 
suffering  in  the  boy's  face. 

But  now  that  look  was  gone.  The  hunchback,  who 
could  have  been  no  more  than  fifteen,  was  convulsed 
by  rage.  He  was  showing  his  teeth  like  a  vicious  dog. 
The  most  appalling  flow  of  profanity  came  shrieking 
through  his  white  lips.  David  was  shocked.  Never 
in  all  his  life  had  he  heard  such  unspeakable  names  as 
those  which  the  tormented  boy  was  screaming  back  at 
his  tantalizers. 

Suddenly  he  spat  upon  the  biggest  of  his  scoffers, 
following  the  act  with  a  name  so  vile  that  the  other 
leaped  forward  and  struck  him  a  heavy  blow  in  the  face. 

This  was  too  much  for  David.  He  dashed  in  and 
planted  a  stinging  right-hander  on  the  jaw  of  the  en 
raged  bully,  sending  him  to  the  ground  beside  the 
hunchback,  who  was  writhing  there  with  blood  on  his 
lips. 

For  a  second  or  two  the  fellow's  companions,  four 
in  number,  stood  undecided.  Then,  with  one  accord, 
they  rushed  at  David  Jenison. 

The  Virginian  was  not  skilled  in  the  art  of  self- 
defense,  but  he  was  brave  and  cool  and  strong.  He 
met  the  rush  staunchly.  To  his  own  surprise  his  wild 
swings  landed  with  amazing  precision  and  the  most 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  119 

gratifying  effect.  Two  of  his  assailants  reeled  away 
under  the  savage  impact  of  his  blows.  A  stone,  hurled 
by  one  of  the  young  ruffians,  struck  him  on  the  shoulder ; 
another  reached  his  face  with  a  cutting  blow  of  the 
fist.  He  felt  the  hot  blood  trickling  down  his  cheek. 
But  he  stood  squarely  in  front  of  the  hunchback,  his 
fists  swinging  like  mad,  half  of  his  blows  failing  to  land 
on  the  person  of  any  one  of  his  crowding,  cursing 
adversaries. 

Suddenly  a  new  element  entered  into  the  one-sided 
conflict.  A  whirlwind  figure  dashed  out  of  an  alley  hard 
by  and  came  crashing  into  the  thick  of  the  fray. 

"  Dick !  Dick !  "  shrieked  the  cowering  cripple,  the 
fiercest  glee  in  his  shrill  voice. 

"  Always  on  hand,"  sang  out  the  newcomer,  slashing 
out  right  and  left.  "  Old  Nick-o'-time,  my  lads.  So 
you  'd  jump  on  a  cripple,  would  you?  Here  's  a  Christ 
mas  gift  for  you,  you  hayseed !  " 

Singing  glibly  after  this  fashion,  the  tall  recruit  laid 
about  him  with  devastating  effect.  Three  of  the  sur 
prised  town  boys  were  sprawling  on  the  ground ;  an 
other  was  trying  to  scale  the  fence  ahead  of  an  expected 
boot-toe ;  the  fifth  was  being  soundly  polished  off  by 
the  exhilarated  David.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
tell  it,  five  terrified  hoodlums  were  "  streaking  it "  in 
as  many  directions,  their  chins  high  with  a  mighty 
resolve,  their  legs  working  like  pinwheels,  their  eyes 
popping  and  their  mouths  spread  in  speechless  en 
deavor.  Five  seconds  later  you  could  n't  have  found 
one  of  them  with  a  telescope. 

The  hunchback  had  leaped  forward  and  was  clasping 
a  leg  of  the  tall,  angry  rescuer,  whining  petulantly : 
"  Why  did  n't  you  come  sooner,  Dick !  You  never  look 
out  for  me.  One  of  them  struck  me.  See !  " 

"  Struck  you,  did  he?     I  'd  —  I  'd  have  killed  him  if 


120  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

I  'd  knowed  that,  Ernie.  But,  say,  who  's  your  friend? 
Looked  as  if  he  was  doing  business  all  right  when  I 
came  up.  Hello!  They  got  to  you,  did  they?  Bleed 
ing  like  a  pig,  you  are.  Say,  young  feller,  never  — 
never  put  your  nose  where  it  can  be  hit.  I  hates  the 
sight  of  blood,  and  always  did." 

David  was  wiping  the  blood  from  his  cheek.  The 
tall  young  man  came  over  and  inspected  the  break  in 
the  cuticle. 

"  Just  peeled  it  off  a  little,"  he  announced.  "  No 
harm  done.  Oh,  I  say,  you  're  the  new  clown,  ain't 
you?  I  saw  you  last  night.  Put  it  there,  kid.  You  're 
a  brick.  I  '11  not  forget  what  you  did  for  Ernie." 

The  two  shook  hands.  The  satirical  grin  had  left 
the  stranger's  face.  He  was  regarding  David  with 
keen  gray  eyes,  narrowed  by  the  odd  intentness  of  his 
gaze.  David  had  the  feeling  that  his  innermost  soul 
was  being  searched  by  the  shrewdest  eyes  he  had  ever 
looked  into. 

"  I  came  up  just  in  time,"  explained  the  Virginian, 
still  somewhat  out  of  breath.  "  They  were  teasing  him, 
and  then  one  of  the  brutes  struck  him.  I  like  fair  play. 
I  could  n't  help  taking  a  hand.  They  might  have  hurt 
him  severely." 

"  He  's  my  brother,"  said  the  other,  putting  his  hand 
on  Ernie's  misshapen  shoulder.  "  No,  I  won't  forget 
this,"  he  went  on.  "  You  did  n't  have  to  interfere,  but 
you  did.  Plucky  thing  to  do.  They  say  you  come 
from  Virginia.  Well,  you  've  proved  it.  Thank  you 
for  doing  this.  My  name  's  Dick  Cronk.  I  'm  from 
New  York.  Ernest,  I  have  n't  heard  you  say  anything 
that  sounds  like  '  much  obliged.'  Speak  up !  " 

The  hunchback  looked  sullenly  at  the  ground,  his 
black  eyebrows  almost  meeting  in  a  straight  line  above 
his  nose. 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  121 

"  He  could  n't  have  licked  'em  if  you  had  n't  come, 
Dick,"  he  protested. 

"  See  here,  Ernie,"  said  Dick,  "  that 's  no  way  to 
act.  Mr.  —  er  —  this  young  gentleman  defended  you 
until  I  —  " 

"  I  saw  him  looking  at  my  —  my  hump  yesterday. 
He  laughed  at  me,"  cried  the  boy  fiercely. 

David's  hand  fell  from  his  bloody  cheek.  "  Laughed 
at  you  ?  "  he  cried.  "  I  never  did  such  a  thing.  You 
are  mistaken." 

"  What  were  you  laughing  at,  then  ?  "  demanded  the 
unfortunate  boy,  made  over-sensitive  by  his  dread  of 
ridicule. 

"  I  don't  remember  that  I  laughed,"  said  David,  per 
plexed  and  distressed. 

"Well,  you  did,"  defiantly. 

David  caught  the  look  of  profound  embarrassment  in 
Dick  Cronk's  face.  He  felt  a  sharp  pity  for  him,  though 
he  could  not  have  explained  why. 

"  I  'm  sorry  you  think  that  of  me,"  he  said.  "  And 
I  am  happy  to  have  come  to  your  assistance  just  now. 
Let 's  be  friends." 

Dick  pushed  Ernie  forward,  gently  but  firmly.  The 
hunchback  extended  his  hand  grudgingly. 

"  All  right,"  he  said  sulkily. 

"  Come  on !  "  said  Dick,  suddenly  alert.  "  The  cops 
will  be  along  here  directly.  Let 's  get  back  to  the  lot. 
I  'm  not  particularly  anxious  to  get  pinched  j  ust  now." 

He  winked  at  David  in  a  most  mysterious  way,  and 
then  grinned  broadly.  David  looked  puzzled.  Then 
a  deep  flush  spread  over  his  unstained  cheek. 

"  You  mean  because  you  are  with  me?  "  he  demanded. 

Dick  Cronk  stared.  "  What 's  that  got  to  do  with 
me?  Oh!"  He  appeared  to  recall  something  to  mind. 
"  I  did  n't  mean  anything  like  that,"  he  hastened  to 


122  THE    ROSE    IN    THE   RING 

explain.  "  As  far  as  that  goes,  I  guess  you  're  in 
worse  company  than  I  am  at  the  present  moment." 

With  this  enigmatic  rejoinder  he  proceeded  to  collect 
three  trophies  of  the  battle  and  toss  them  over  the  high 
board  fence.  Three  of  their  late  enemies  had  neglected 
to  pick  up  their  hats  as  they  scuttled  off  the  field  of 
carnage. 

"  None  of  them  worth  keeping,"  was  his  contemptu 
ous  remark  as  he  started  off  briskly  in  the  direction  of 
the  circus  lot. 

For  the  first  time  in  many  days  the  sun  was  shining. 
David  announced  that  he  would  proceed  on  his  walk 
toward  the  distant  hills. 

"  Better  come  along  with  me,"  advised  Dick,  halting 
abruptly.  "  The  cops  will  get  wind  of  this.  They  jerk 
up  a  circus  man  on  the  slightest  excuse.  It 's  something 
of  an  honor,  I  believe,  to  land  one  of  us  in  jail.  The 
darned  rubes  talk  about  it  for  weeks  afterwards,  telling 
how  they  nailed  a  desperate  character.  Everybody 
connected  with  a  show  is  a  regular  devil  in  their  eyes. 
And  that  reminds  me.  I  had  my  lamps  on  a  couple  of 
blue  boys  down  the  street  as  I  came  up.  We  'd  better 
go  up  this  alley." 

The  three  of  them  turned  into  the  narrow  alley  and 
walked  briskly  along,  Dick  Cronk  regaling  the  per 
plexed  David  with  airy  comments  on  the  methods  em 
ployed  by  rustic  police  in  their  efforts  to  preserve  the 
city  from  the  depredations  of  circus  followers  and  scala 
wags.  He  was  a  revelation  to  the  young  Virginian. 

Despite  his  jaunty,  casual  manner,  there  was  a  cer 
tain  keen  watchfulness  in  his  face,  an  alert  gleam  in  his 
lively  eyes.  He  seemed  to  be  taking  in  everything  as 
they  ambled  through  the  alley.  When  they  approached 
the  intersecting  street  his  gaze  seemed  to  project  itself 
far  ahead,  even  to  the  scouring  of  the  thoroughfare  in 
both  directions. 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  123 

"  I  think  those  two  cops  are  still  at  the  corner  be 
low,"  he  remarked.  "  We  '11  turn  to  the  left  without 
looking  to  the  right." 

They  turned  to  the  left. 

'*  Yes,"  said  Dick,  who,  so  far  as  David  could  see, 
had  not  glanced  to  the  right,  "  they  're  still  there. 
Let  me  tell  you  one  thing,  pardner.  If  a  cop  ever  stops 
you  and  begins  asking  questions,  just  you  tell  him 
you  're  a  performer.  You  can  always  prove  it,  whether 
you  are  one  or  not."  He  drew  forth  a  short  black  pipe. 
"  Heigho !  I  'm  glad  to  be  back  with  the  show."  There 
was  a  world  of  satisfaction  in  the  way  he  said  it. 

"Are  you  a  performer?"  asked  David,  glancing 
out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  at  the  long,  supple  figure. 
The  fellow  was  filling  his  pipe. 

Dick  Cronk  laughed  softly.  "  Yes.  I  've  been  per 
forming  on  the  perpendicular  bars  for  the  past  two 
weeks.  Not  the  horizontal  bars,  mind  you.  Banks  and 
Davis  do  that  act.  Climbing  up  and  down  the  bars  has 
been  my  job  lately." 

"You  mean?" 

"  Even  the  innocent  must  suffer  sometimes,"  quoth 
the  nonchalant  philosopher.  It  was  sharply  revealed 
to  David  that  he  had  been  in  jail. 

Three  abreast  they  moved  down  the  main  street  of 
the  town,  soon  mingling  with  the  throngs  of  country 
people  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  public  square.  Dick 
Cronk's  hands  were  in  his  trousers  pockets ;  his  shoul 
ders  were  thrown  back,  his  chin  elevated,  his  long  legs 
stepping  out  freely,  confidently.  His  stiff  black  hat 
was  cocked  airily  over  his  right  ear.  He  was  rather 
flashily  dressed,  but  he  had  the  ease  of  manner  that 
enabled  him  to  carry  his  clothes  with  peculiar  unob- 
trusiveness.  They  were  threadbare  and  untidy,  if  you 
took  the  pains  to  look  closely;  but  you  never  thought 


124  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

of  looking  closely ;  you  merely  took  in  the  general  effect, 
which  was  rather  pleasing  than  otherwise. 

The  face  of  this  debonair  knight  of  Vagabondia  was 
curiously  attractive,  though  not  what  you  would  call 
handsome.  The  features  were  too  pronounced,  the  lips 
too  prone  to  twist  into  satirical  grimaces.  His  dark 
hair  grew  rather  low  on  his  wide  forehead ;  it  always 
looked  straight  and  damp.  The  nose  was  long  and 
pointed.  When  he  whistled  —  which  was  almost  in 
cessantly  —  the  tip  of  it  appeared  to  protrude  at  least 
half  an  inch  farther  out  from  his  face  and  to  assume 
a  new  elevation.  His  chin  was  square  and  his  neck  was 
long.  Swift-moving  gray  eyes  twinkled  good-humor- 
edly  under  a  frank,  open  brow. 

"  Are  you  going  to  be  with  the  show  the  rest  of  the 
summer?  "  asked  David  hesitatingly,  at  one  stage  of 
their  conversation. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  other,  pursing  his  lips. 
"  I  can't  say  that  I  like  Braddock's  greedy  ways.  He 
wants  too  much  in  the  divvy.  There  's  plenty  of  shows 
nowadays  that  don't  ask  anything  off  of  us.  But 
Brad  's  got  to  have  a  slice  of  it.  See  ?  I ' ve  been  think 
ing  a  little  of  Barnum  or  Van  Amberg." 

Ernie  spoke  up  shrilly.  "  You  bet  your  life  he  ain't 
going  to  leave  the  show."  Dick  turned  pink  about  the 
ears. 

"  Never  mind  that,  kid,"  he  said  uneasily.  David 
instinctively  knew  that  there  was  a  girl  in  the  balance. 

Dick  had  the  wonderful  knack  of  "  spotting "  a 
policeman  two  blocks  away.  At  times  this  quality  in 
him  was  positively  uncanny. 

"  I  can  see  'em  through  a  brick  wall,"  he  said  to 
David.  "  I  guess  it  must  be  second  sight." 

"  It 's  second  smell,"  said  Ernie  briefly. 

They  came  at  length  to  the  show  grounds.     Here, 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  125 

to  David's  amazement,  every  one  they  met  greeted  the 
tall  youth  with  a  shout  of  joy.  He  shook  hands  with 
all  of  them,  from  the  hostler  to  the  manager,  from  the 
"  butcher "  to  the  highest-priced  performer,  without 
any  apparent  distinction. 

"  Hello,  Dick,  old  boy ! "  was  the  universal  greeting. 

"  Hello,  kid !  "  was  his  genial  response,  to  young  and 
old  alike.  Women,  sunning  themselves,  waved  their 
hands  gayly  at  him ;  some  of  them  wafted  kisses  — 
which  he  gallantly  returned.  Old  Joey  Noakes  took 
his  pipe  out  of  his  mouth,  crinkled  his  face  up  into  a 
mighty  smile,  and  exclaimed: 

"  It 's  good  for  sore  eyes  to  see  you  again,  Dicky. 
How  was  it  this  time?  " 

"  I  liked  the  stone  pile  better  than  the  chuck  they 
gave  us.  Gee  whiz,  I  '11  never  get  pinched  in  that  burg 
again." 

David  turned  away  for  a  moment  to  speak  to  some 
one.  When  he  looked  again,  Dick  Cronk  had  dis 
appeared. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  he  asked  of  old  Joey. 

"  He 's  'arf-way  uptown  by  this  time,"  said  the 
clown  quizzically. 

"  Who  is  he,  Joey?  " 

Joey  looked  surprised.  "  Don't  you  know  Artful 
Dick  Cronk?"  he  demanded.  "Why,  Jacky,  he's  the 
slickest  dip  —  that 's  short  for  pickpocket  —  in  the 
United  States.  He  's  the  king  of  all  the  glue-fingers, 
that  boy  is.  My  eye,  'ow  he  can  do  wot  he  does,  I 
can't  for  the  life  of  me  see."  He  then  went  into  a  long 
dissertation  on  the  astonishing  accomplishments  of  Art 
ful  Dick  Cronk. 

"  And  you  all  associate  with  him  ?  "  cried  David, 
openly  surprised. 

"Certain  sure.     Why  not?     He's  the  most  h»nest 


126  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

dip  I  ever  see.  He  would  n't  touch  a  thing  belonging 
to  one  of  us  —  not  a  thing.  He  works  only  on  these 
'ere  rich  blokes  wot  thinks  we  're  scum  and  vermin. 
But,  I  say,  Jacky,"  he  interrupted  himself  to  say  sagely, 
"  I  would  n't  be  seen  with  'im  too  often  if  I  was  you. 
He  does  have  to  make  some  very  sudden  escapes  some 
times,  unexpected  like,  and  I  doubt  if  you  can  dodge 
as  well  as  he  can.  If  that  feller  was  to  give  up  lifting 
pocket-books,  he  could  be  the  grandest  lawyer  in  ten 
states.  Wot  he  don't  know  about  the  law  nobody  else 
does.  Experience  is  a  wonderful  teacher.  He  comes 
by  'is  name  rightly,  he  does,  —  Artful  Dick.  I  've 
larfed  myself  sick  many  a  time  listening  to  'ow  he  lifted 
things.  Once  he  actually  took  a  feller's  pocket-book 
out  of  'is  inside  westcut  pocket,  removed  the  bills,  signed 
a  little  receipt  for  'em,  and  then  returned  the  leather 
to  the  gent's  westcut.  Later  on  he  'card  the  chap  was 
going  to  use  the  money  to  pay  off  a  morgidge  and  that 
he  'ad  a  sick  wife.  Wot  did  Dick  do  but  'unt  him  up 
again  and  put  the  money  back,  removing  the  receipt 
and  substituting  a  fifty-dollar  bill  he  'd  filched  from  a 
wise  guy  in  a  bank,  all  wrapped  up  in  a  little  note  tell 
ing  the  chap  to  give  it  to  'is  wife  with  the  compliments 
of  Old  Nick.  I  've  larfed  myself  to  sleep  wondering 
wot  the  feller  thought  when  he  found  the  note ! " 

"  I  've  never  seen  any  one  just  like  him.  He  's  a 
very  odd  person,"  said  David.  "  I  think  I  should  like 
him  in  spite  of  what  he  is." 

"  Everybody  likes  him.  He 's  so  light-'earted  he 
almost  bursts  with  j  oy.  He 's  followed  us  for  two 
seasons,  and  I  've  never  knowed  'im  to  do  a  mean  or 
dishonorable  thing,"  said  Joey  with  perfect  compla 
cency.  And  yet  Joey  Noakes  was  the  soul  of  integrity ! 
David  could  not  help  laughing;  whereupon  the  clown 
hastened  to  add :  "  Except  to  steal." 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  127 

"  I  'm  sorry  he  's  that  kind,"  deplored  David. 

"  He 's  about  twenty-one,"  said  Joey,  a  retrospec 
tive  light  in  his  eye.  "  He  first  joined  us  as  a  sleight- 
o'-hand  man  in  the  side-show.  That  cussed  little 
brother  of  'is  got  a  job  taking  tickets.  Dick  'ad  been 
in  jail  a  couple  of  times  and  he  decided  to  turn  over  a 
new  leaf.  He  'd  'a'  been  all  right  if  it  'ad  n't  been  for 
Ernie.  Ernie  didn't  think  he  was  making  enough 
money  by  being  honest,  so  he  just  naturally  drove  'im 
to  picking  again.  That  boy  is  a  little  devil.  You  see, 
the  trouble  with  poor  Dick  is,  that  he  's  set  'imself  up 
to  protect  and  provide  for  Ernie  all  'is  life.  It  seems 
that  he  's  responsible  for  the  deformity.  When  Ernie 
was  five  years  old,  Dick,  who  'ad  a  wery  disagreeable 
temper  in  them  days,  kicked  the  little  cuss  downstairs. 
The  kid  was  laid  up  for  months  and  he  came  out  of  it 
all  twisted  up  —  just  as  you  see  'im  now.  Wei1,  Dick 
never  got  mad  at  anybody  after  that.  He  wery  prop 
erly  swore  he  'd  take  care  of  Ernie  and  try  to  make  up 
for  wot  he  'd  done  to  'im.  He  said  he  'd  beg  or  steal 
or  kill  if  he  'ad  to,  to  provide  for  'im.  He  's  never  'ad 
to  beg  or  kill,  I  'm  thankful  to  say.  So,  you  see,  he 
ain't  altogether  to  blame  for  'is  occupation.  Ernie 's 
a  miser.  He  would  n't  be  satisfied  with  'arf  of  a  decent 
man's  wages,  if  Dick  minded  to  go  to  honest  work; 
he  must  have  'arf  of  all  Dick  can  steal,  and  he  sets  up 
a  'orrible  rumpus  if  Dick  don't  make  some  good  pulls. 
Ernie's  excuse  for  'is  greediness  is  this :  he  says  he 
wants  to  'ave  plenty  to  fall  back  on  if  Dick  'appens  to 
get  a  long  term  in  the  pen.  Who  's  going  to  support 
'im,  says  he,  while  Dick's  doing  time?  Wot  do  you 
think  of  that  for  brotherly  love?  " 

"  It 's  unbelievable !  " 

"  He  curses  Dick  in  one  breath  and  sweeties  'im  in 
the  next,"  went  on  Joey.  "  Wheedles  'im,  don't  you 


128  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

see.  Once  Dick  was  in  the  jug  for  two  months.  Ernie 
wanted  to  kill  'im  afore  he  got  out,  he  was  that  enraged 
at  'im  for  being  so  inconsiderate  as  to  get  caught.  They 
say  Ernie  has  several  thousand  dollars  in  a  bank  in 
New  York,  every  nickel  of  which  Dick  stole  for  'im. 
Dick  spends  'is  own  share  freely,  or  gives  it  away  for 
charity,  or  —  ahem !  lends  it  to  needy  persons  as  'appens 
to  know  'im." 

"  Poor  fellow !  What  a  life !  What  is  to  become  of 
him  ?  "  cried  David,  genuinely  concerned. 

"  Oh,  he  's  got  all  that  set  down  in  'is  book  of  fate, 
as  he  calls  it.  He  says  he  's  going  to  be  'anged  some 
day.  He  's  just  as  sure  of  it  as  he  's  sure  he  's  alive." 

"  Just  a  morbid  notion." 

"  Well,  it 's  his  antecedents,  as  the  feller  would  say. 
In  the  family,  so  to  speak.  His  father  was  'anged  for 
murder  when  Dick  was  eleven  years  old.  I  daresay 
it 's  r;ot  on  'is  mind,  poor  lad." 

"  His  father  was  hanged?  "  cried  David,  in  a  lowered 
tone.  A  swift  shudder  swept  over  him. 

"  He  was,"  said  Joey,  refilling  his  pipe  and  prepar 
ing  to  scratch  a  sulphur  match  on  his  bandy  leg.  "  And 
a  good  job  it  was,  too.  He  was  a  'ousebreaker,  and  he 
'ad  a  wery  gentle  wife  who  prayed  for  'im  every  night 
and  tried  to  get  'im  to  give  up  the  life  on  account  of 
the  children.  One  night  he  got  drunk  and  shot  a  per 
fectly  'elpless  old  man  whose  'ouse  he  was  robbing. 
That 's  wot  they  swung  'im  for.  I  daresay  that 's  why 
Dick  'as  never  took  to  drink.  He  says  it  takes  the 
polish  off  from  a  chap's  ambition." 

All  this  time,  at  the  back  of  the  "  snack-stand " 
across  the  lot  the  Cronk  brothers  -were  engaged  in 
earnest  conversation,  low-toned  and  serious,  irascible 
on  the  part  of  the  one,  conciliatory  on  the  part  of  the 
other. 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  129 

"  You  know  I  give  you  half  always,  Ernie,"  said  tall 
Dick,  almost  plaintively.  "  I  never  hold  out  on  you." 

"  You  say  you  don't,"  snarled  the  other  between  his 
teeth.  "  You  got  more  than  twenty  dollars  out  of  that 
guy  last  night,  did  n't  you?  I  know  you  did." 

"  S'  help  me  God,  Ernie,  I  did  n't  get  a  —  " 

"  He  had  nearly  fifty  dollars  in  the  saloon." 

"  I  don't  know  where  it  got  to,  then.  I  nipped  only 
two  tens,  I  swear,  Ernie.  Why,  I  would  n't  do  you  a 
dirty  trick  like  that  for  the  world." 

"  You  done  me  a  dirty  trick  once,"  grated  the  mis 
shapen  lad.  "  If  it  had  n't  been  for  you  I  'd  be  as 
straight  as  anybody  and  I  —  " 

"  Don't  begin  on  that  again,  Ernie,"  pleaded  Dick. 
"  Ain't  you  ever  going  to  give  me  a  rest  on  that  ? 
Ain't  I  trying  to  make  up  for  it,  the  best  I  know  how?  " 

"  Yes,  and  did  n't  you  let  'em  catch  you  back  there 
in  Staunton?  Is  that  the  way  you  make  it  up?  Let 
ting  me  starve  —  almost."  He  glared  at  the  ground. 
"  Yes,  if  I  was  straight  she  'd  look  at  me,  too.  She 
would  n't  look  the  other  way  every  time  I  come  around. 
Oh,  you  don't  know  how  it  feels !  She  'd  go  out  walk 
ing  with  me  instead  of  that  Virginian  smart  aleck  who 
killed  his  grandpa.  But  just  see  how  it  is,  though! 
She  won't  look  at  me !  She  won't  even  look  at  me !  " 

A  whole  world  of  bitterness  dwelt  in  that  cry  of 
despair. 

"  If  I  was  straight  like  you,  she  'd  —  she  might  lore 
me.  She  might  marry  me.  Just  think  of  it,  Dick!  I 
might  get  her."  With  the  inconsistency  of  the  selfishly 
irrational  he  added :  "  I  've  got  plenty  of  money.  I 
could  give  her  fine  clothes  and  —  But,  oh,  what 's  the 
use  ?  She  hates  to  look  at  me.  I  —  I  hurt  her  eyes  — 
yes,  I  hurt  her  eyes !  " 

It  was  pitiful.  Greed  and  avarice  had  made  a  hateful 

9 


130  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

little  monster  of  him,  and  yet  a  heart  of  stone  would 
have  been  touched  by  the  misery  in  his  eyes,  the  anguish 
on  his  lips.  Dick  murmured  helplessly: 

"  May  —  maybe  you  can  get  her  anyhow,  Ernie. 
Maybe  you  can.  Maybe  —  maybe." 

But  Ernie's  emotion  underwent  a  sudden  change. 
Spitefulness  leaped  into  his  eyes  ;  the  wail  of  misery  left 
his  voice  and  in  its  place  came  shrill  blasphemy.  After 
he  had  cursed  Dick  and  David  Jenison  to  his  heart's 
content  he  came  to  a  standstill  in  front  of  his  unhappy 
brother.  Sticking  out  his  lower  jaw  angrily  he 
snapped : 

"  Where  's  the  sapphire  ring  you  got  from  the  feller 
in  Charlottesville?" 

"  I  —  I  stiU  got  it." 

"  Oh,  I  see !  "  sneered  Ernie,  drawing  back.  "  You  're 
saving  it  to  give  to  Ruby  Noakes,  eh?  That's  it,  is 
it?  Cheating  me  out  of  it  to  give  to  her.  An  engage 
ment  ring,  eh?  Say,  you  —  " 

"  Hold  on,  Ernie,"  said  Dick  sternly.  "  I  'm  not 
going  to  do  anything  of  the  sort.  Why  —  why,  I 
could  n't  give  Ruby  anything  I  'd  stole.  I  could  n't !  " 

"  Aw,  but  you  don't  mind  giving  me  things  you  've 
stole.  I  'm  different,  am  I  ?  I  'm  not  as  good  as  she 
is,  am  I?  Well,  say,  lemme  tell  you  one  thing:  Ruby 
Noakes  ain't  going  to  hook  up  with  a  sneak  thief." 

"  Brnie,"  said  Dick,  going  very  white  and  speaking 
v«ry  slowly,  "  you  sometimes  make  me  wish  you  'd  'a' 
died  that  time." 

"  I  wish  I  had !     Then  they  'd  'a'  hung  you." 

"  I  was  only  nine,"  murmured  Dick,  trying  to  put 
his  arm  around  his  brother,  only  to  have  it  struck  away 
with  violence. 

"  And  I  was  only  four,"  scoffed  the  other.  "  Say, 
let  'e  see  that  ring." 


THE    BROTHERS    CRONK  131 

Dick  produced  the  sapphire.  It  was  most  unusual  in 
him  to  carry  the  smallest  part  of  his  gains  on  his  per 
son.  The  circumstance  struck  Ernie  at  once. 

"  So  you  were  going  to  give  it  to  her,"  snapped  he. 

"  She  would  n't  take  it  if  I  were  fool  enough  to  offer 
it,"  said  Dick  quietly,  dropping  the  ring  into  his 
brother's  hand.  It  immediately  found  a  new  resting 
place  in  the  latter's  pocket. 

"  Maybe  the  other  one  will  take  it  from  me,"  he 
grinned. 

"  You  'd  better  not  try  it.  Braddock  would  kick  you 
to  death." 

"  Everybody  wants  to  kick  me,"  whined  the  other, 
taking  a  new  turn.  "  But,  say,  he  did  n't  offer  to  kick 
me  last  night  when  I  told  him  she  'd  been  out  walking 
with  that  guy.  I  seen  'em  —  I  seen  'em  sneaking  in. 
I  told  Brad.  I  bet  he  raised  thunder  with  'em." 

Dick  was  looking  out  past  the  stand  in  the  direction 
of  the  big  tents. 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure,"  he  said  dryly.  "  I  see  Brad  and 
Christine  and  the  guy  you  mean  talking  over  there  by 
the  entrance.  They  seem  to  be  in  a  specially  good 
humor." 

Ernie  sprang  forward,  his  eyes  dilated.  He  stared 
for  a  full  minute  without  blinking.  Then  his  grip  on 
Dick's  arm  suddenly  relaxed. 

"  Oh,  God,  how  I  wish  I  was  straight  and  handsome 
like  him !  "  he  cried  brokenly. 

Dick  did  not  look  down,  but  he  knew  that  the  tears 
were  standing  in  the  boy's  eyes. 

"  Don't  think  about  it,  Ernie,"  he  began. 

Ernie  shook  off  his  hand  and  angrily  rubbed  his  eyes 
with  his  bony  knuckles.  He  sobbed  twice,  and  then 
burst  forth  in  a  shrill  tirade  of  abuse.  Quivering  with 
ungovernable  rage,  he  called  Dick  every  vile  name  he 
could  lay  his  proficient  tongue  to. 


132  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Poor  Dick  offered  up  no  word  of  protest,  no  sign  of 
resentment.  When  Ernie  stopped  for  sheer  exhaustion, 
not  only  of  his  lung  power  but  in  the  matter  of  epithets, 
the  tall  martyr  took  his  hands  out  of  his  pockets, 
stretched  himself  lazily,  and  announced,  as  if  it  were 
expected  of  him  as  a  duty : 

"  Well,  the  crowd  is  beginning  to  gather  at  the  ticket- 
wagon.  I  guess  I  'd  better  be  strolling  among  'em, 
Ernie.  So  long." 

Ernie  looked  up  eagerly,  his  mood  changing  like  a 
flash. 

"  Good  luck,  Dick,"  he  said,  his  eyes  sparkling. 


CHAPTER   VHI 

AN    INVITATION    TO    STTPPE* 

THAT  same  night  Artful  Dick  Cronk  had  a  long  con 
versation  with  Thomas  Braddock.  David  was  the  prin 
cipal  subject  of  discussion.  The  airy  scalawag  was 
not  long  in  getting  to  the  bottom  of  the  fugitive's  his 
tory,  so  far  as  it  could  be  obtained  from  the  rather  dis 
connected  utterances  of  the  convivial  Thomas.  They 
had  come  upon  each  other  in  a  bar-room,  but  Dick  had 
succeeded  in  getting  the  showman  away  from  the  place 
before  he  reached  the  maudlin  stage.  The  day's  busi 
ness  had  been  good.  Braddock  was  cheerful,  almost 
optimistic  in  consequence.  He  vociferously  thanked 
his  lucky  sun,  not  his  stars.  Convinced  that  this  was  an 
uncommonly  clever  bit  of  paraphrasing,  he  repeated  it 
at  least  a  dozen  times  with  great  unction,  always  append 
ing  a  careful  explanation  so  that  Dick  would  be  sure  to 
catch  the  point  —  or,  you  might  say,  the  twist. 

"  If  we  only  had  sunshine  like  this,"  he  announced 
with  a  comprehensive  wave  of  his  hand,  regardless  of 
the  fact  that  it  was  ten  o'clock  at  night,  "  I  'd  clear  a 
million  dollars  this  season.  We  've  got  nearly  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  in  that  tent  to-night,  Dick.  Twenty-one 
hundred  on  the  day.  A  week  of  this  beautiful  sunshine 
and  we  'd  be  doing  three  thousand  a  day.  I  'd  make  old 
Barnum  look  like  a  two-spot.  Did  you  ever  see  more 
beautiful  sunshine,  Dick?  Now,  did  you?" 

"  That 's  not  the  sun,  Brad,"  said  Dick,  removing  his 
pipe  from  his  lips.  "  That 's  a  canvasman  with  a 
torch."  They  had  arrived  at  the  lot. 


134  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Braddock  swore  a  mighty  oath,  and  with  jovial  good- 
humor  chucked  Dick  in  the  ribs,  not  very  gently,  it  may 
be  supposed.  Dick,  with  responsive  good-humor,  seized 
the  opportunity  to  deliver  a  resounding  thump  on  Brad- 
dock's  back,  almost  knocking  the  breath  out  of  him.  If 
one  could  have  looked  into  the  brain  of  the  grinning 
pickpocket,  he  might  have  detected  a  vast  regret  that 
policy  made  it  inadvisable  to  thump  the  showman  on  the 
jaw  instead  of  the  back.  He  had  the  satisfaction,  how 
ever,  of  hearing  the  other  cough  violently  for  some  little 
time. 

"  Don't  be  so  rough,"  growled  Braddock,  taking  a 
fresh  cigar  from  his  pocket  to  replace  the  one  that  had 
been  expelled  by  the  force  of  the  blow. 

"  Excuse  me,"  apologized  Dick  promptly.  "  Say," 
he  went  on,  without  waiting  for  or  expecting  forgive 
ness,  "  tell  me  something  about  this  new  clown  of  yours." 

Whereupon  Braddock  lowered  his  voice  and  told  him 
as  much  as  he  knew  of  the  story.  They  sat  on  a  wagon 
tongue  at  some  distance  from  where  the  men  were  tear 
ing  down  the  menagerie  tent.  Dick  Cronk  puffed  his 
pipe  thoughtfully  during  the  recital.  One  might  have 
imagined  that  he  was  not  listening.  > 

"  I  don't  believe  he  killed  him,"  said  he  at  the  end  of 
the  story. 

"  Neither  do  I,"  said  Braddock.  "  But  it  won't  hurt 
to  let  him  think  that  we  're  all  still  a  leetle  bit  doubtful." 

"  I  heard  all  about  the  murder  in  Staunton.  The 
sheriff  was  trying  to  head  the  kid  off  if  he  came  through 
that  county.  We  were  expectin'  to  see  him  landed  in  j  ail 
any  day.  They  had  bloodhounds  after  him,  I  hear." 
Dick  Cronk's  body  quivered  in  a  sharp  spasm  of 
dread. 

"  Say,  Dick,  listen  here,"  said  Braddock,  leaning 
closer  and  dropping  his  voice  to  a  half -whisper.  "  I  've 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER  135 

been  wantin'  you  to  turn  up  ever  since  he  joined  us. 
What  will  you  say  when  I  tell  you  he  's  got  more  'n  two 
thousand  dollars  with  him  ?  " 

Dick  started.     "What!" 

"  He  has.     I  've  seen  it.     He  's  lousy  with  it." 

"  Well,  he  came  by  it  honestly,"  said  Dick  after  a 
moment. 

"  How  do  you  know?  "  demanded  the  other  insinu 
atingly. 

"  Honest  men  are  so  blamed  scarce,  Brad,  that  I  can 
always  tell  one  when  I  see  him." 

Braddock  rolled  his  cigar  from  one  side  of  his  mouth 
to  the  other  and  back  again  before  venturing  the  next 
remark. 

"  It  would  be  no  trick  at  all  to  get  it  away  from  him." 

Dick  Cronk  looked  at  his  averted  face.  "  What  do 
you  mean  ?  " 

"  Think  of  what  a  haul  it  would  be." 

"  I  suppose  you  want  me  to  lift  the  pile.    Is  that  it  ?  " 

"  Not  unless  we  come  to  a  thorough  understanding 
beforehand,"  said  Braddock  quickly.  "  It 's  my  plan, 
so  I  get  the  bulk  of  it,  understand  that." 

"  I  do  the  job  and  you  get  the  stuff,"  sneered  Dick, 
still  looking  at  his  companion.  Braddock  felt  that  look 
and  moved  uncomfortably. 

"  It 's  too  much  money  to  let  get  away,"  he  explained 
somewhat  irrelevantly. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  pinch  it  yourself?  Why  ask 
me  to  do  it?  " 

Braddock  turned  upon  him  angrily.  "  Why,  I  'm  no 
thief !  I  '11  break  your  neck  if  you  make  another  crack 
like  that." 

Artful  Dick  arose.  "  I  'm  not  so  easily  insulted,"  he 
said  with  a  queer  little  laugh.  "  But,  say,  Braddock, 
let  me  tell  you  one  thing.  I  'm  not  going  to  touch  that 


136  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

kid's  wad,  and  you  ain't  either.  I  'm  a  friend  of  his  'n, 
after  what  happened  to-day.  Put  that  in  your  pipe, 
Brad,  and  smoke  it." 

Braddock  gulped  painfully.  "  See  here,  Dick,  don't 
be  a  fool.  We  can  .clean  up  a  —  " 

"  You  'd  take  the  pennies  off  a  dead  nigger's  eyes," 
interrupted  the  pickpocket  scathingly. 

"  I  'd  do  anything  to  keep  the  show  from  busting," 
said  the  other  with  the  air  of  a  martyr.  "  Anything 
to  save  my  wife's  little  fortune,  and  anything  to  keep 
my  performers  from  going  broke." 

"  I  suppose  your  wife  thinks  it 's  all  right  to 
get  this  kid's  money  away  from  him,"  said  Dick 
sarcastically. 

"  She  —  why,  of  course,  she  would  n't  know  anything 
about  it.  She  's  so  blamed  finicky." 

"  Of  course !  "  scoffed  Dick. 

"  But  she  'd  stand  for  it,  if  she  ever  did  find  it  out. 
She  needs  the  money  just  as  much  as  I  do,  only  she  likes 
to  appear  sanctimo  —  " 

"  I  hate  a  liar,  Brad,"  said  Dick  coolly. 

Braddock  arose  unsteadily.     "  You  mean  me?  " 

"  I  do,"  said  the  thief  to  the  liar.  "  You  know  you 
lie  when  you  say  she  'd  back  you  up  in  a  game  like 
that." 

"  I  Ve  a  notion  to  smash  you  one." 

"  Here 's  your  watch,  Brad,  and  your  pocketbook. 
I  nipped  'em  just  now  to  see  if  I  'm  in  practice.  Oh, 
yes,  and  your  revolver,  too."  He  laughed  noiselessly 
as  he  laid  the  three  articles  on  the  footrest  of  the  wagon 
and  turned  away. 

Braddock  blinked  his  eyes.  As  he  replaced  the  ar 
ticles  in  their  places,  he  said  admiringly :  "  Well,  you 
do  beat  the  devil !  " 

When  he  turned,  the  pickpocket  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen.  It  was  as  if  the  earth  had  swallowed  him. 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          137 

Five  minutes  later  Dick  appeared  quite  mysteriously 
in  the  dressing-tent,  coming  from  the  skies,  it  seemed  to 
David,  who  found  him  filling  a  space  that  had  been  abso 
lutely  empty  when  he  stooped  over  an  instant  before  to 
adjust  his  shoe-lacing. 

"  Hello,  kid,"  said  Dick  easily.  "  Say,  do  you  know 
there 's  a  warrant  for  your  arrest  right  now  in  the 
hands  of  the  town  marshal  of  this  burg?  " 

David's  heart  almost  stopped  beating. 

"  How  do  you  know?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  just  piped  him  and  a  Pinkerton  guy  I  know  by 
sight  hunting  up  Braddock.  Not  three  minutes  ago. 
They  were  talking  it  over  between  'em  out  there  by  the 
road.  The  detective  's  got  a  picture  of  you,  he  says. 
Somehow  they  've  dropped  on  to  it  that  the  new  clown 
is  you.  Evening,  Mrs.  Braddock." 

The  proprietor's  wife  came  up,  followed  closely  by 
Christine  and  Ruby,  dressed  for  the  street.  In  an  in 
stant  David  repeated  the  startling  news. 

"  What  is  to  be  done?  "  cried  Mrs.  Braddock,  aghast. 

"  They   sha'n't  take  you,  David,"  cried  Christine. 

"  Where  is  my  father?  "  fell  from  Ruby's  frightened 
lips. 

"  Not  a  second  to  be  lost,"  said  Dick.  "  I  've  got  a 
scheme.  Come  in  here,  kid,  and  let  me  get  into  the  tights 
you  've  got  on.  Tell  Joey,  and  put  the  rest  of  the  crowd 
on  to  the  game,"  he  added  to  Ruby. 

When  the  town  marshal  and  the  detective  deliberately 
stalked  into  the  dressing-tent  a  few  minutes  later,  a  non 
chalant  group  of  performers  greeted  them,  apparently 
without  interest. 

The  new  clown  was  partly  dressed,  but  he  had  not 
washed  the  bismuth  and  carmine  from  his  lean  face. 
Braddock,  perspiring  freely,  came  in  behind  the  officers. 
He  saw  in  a  glance  what  had  transpired.  His  cigar 
almost  dropped  from  his  lips. 


138  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  We  want  you,"  said  the  marshal,  pushed  forward 
by  the  detective.  The  new  clown  looked  up,  amazed,  as 
the  hand  fell  on  his  shoulder.  "  No  trouble  now,"  added 
the  local  officer,  nervously  glancing  around  him.  He 
knew  the  perils  attending  the  arrest  of  a  circus  per 
former  in  his  own  domain. 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Dick 
Cronk,  jerking  his  arm  away. 

"  I  want  you,  David  Jenison,  for  murder  in  — " 

There  was  a  roar  of  laughter  from  the  assembled 
crowd  of  performers. 

"Come  off!"  grinned  Dick  Cronk.  "You're  off 
your  base,  you  rube.  Let  go  my  arm !  " 

"  None  of  that  now,"  said  the  detective.  "  I  've  got 
your  picture  here.  The  jig's  up,  young  feller.  It's 
no  —  " 

"  My  picture?  "  ejaculated  Dick  in  surprise.  "  Let 's 
have  a  look  at  it.  I  never  had  my  picture  taken  in  my 
life." 

The  man  held  out  a  small  solar  print  of  a  daguerreo 
type  that  David  Jenison  sat  for  the  year  before  at  col 
lege.  While  the  marshal,  in  some  trepidation,  regained 
his  grip  on  the  prisoner's  arm,  the  crowd  of  performers 
looked  at  the  picture  with  broad  grins  on  their  faces. 

"  Wash  up,  Jacky,"  said  Grinaldi,  stifling  a  laugh. 

"  Let  the  rubes  see  what  you  really  look  like," 
added  Signer  Anaconda. 

Dick  Cronk  proceeded  to  scrub  away  the  make-up. 
When  he  lifted  his  face  for  inspection,  the  two  officers 
glared  at  him  in  positive  consternation. 

"  I  guess  I  'm  not  the  guy  you  're  after,"  said  Dick 
coolly.  "  A  blind  man  could  see  that  I  don't  look  like 
that  picture.  My,  what  a  nice-looking  boy  he  is!  A 
reg'lar  lady-killer." 

"  You  're  not  the  man,  that 's  dead  sure,"   said  the 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          139 

Pinkerton  operative,  perplexity  written  all  over  his  face. 
"  We  've  had  a  job  put  up  on  us,"  he  explained,  turning 
to  Braddock.  "  Some  smart  aleck  sent  word  to  our 
branch  that  the  real  Jenison  boy  was  a  clown  in  this 
show.  We  got  a  note  from  some  one  who  said  he  be 
longed  to  the  show.  They  sent  me  up  here  on  a  chance 
that  it  was  true.  We  had  this  picture  in  the  office.  The 
note  says  David  Jenison  joined  the  show  three  weeks 
ago.  How  long  have  you  been  with  it?  " 

Dick  Cronk  was  very  cunning.  "  That 's  funny. 
I  've  been  with  it  just  three  weeks.  Say,  I  bet  I  know 
who  put  up  this  job  on  you."  He  turned  to  his  friends. 
*'  It  was  that  darned  Jim  Hopkins.  He  's  always  up  to 
a  gag  of  some  sort." 

"  Where  is  he?  "  demanded  the  detective. 

"The  Lord  knows,"  said  Dick.  "He  ducked  a 
couple  of  days  ago.  Gone  to  Cincinnati,  I  think  he 
said.  He  works  the  shell  game,  and  it  got  pretty  hot 
for  him  after  we  left  Cumberland.  Well,  say,  this  is 
great !  I  guess  the  drinks  are  on  the  Pinkerton  office. 
Thaw  out,  mister.  Charge  it  to  the  Molly  McGuires." 

In  the  mean  time  David  Jenison,  attired  in  a  street 
gown  belonging  to  Madam  Bolivar,  the  strong  lady, 
was  on  his  way  to  the  hotel,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock,  Christine  and  others  of  the  sex  he  represented  for 
the  time  being. 

An  hour  later  he  stole  away  from  the  hotel,  in  his  own 
clothes,  and  boarded  a  rumbling  tableau  wagon  at  the 
edge  of  the  town,  considerably  shaken  by  his  narrow 
escape,  but  full  of  gratitude  to  the  resourceful 
pickpocket. 

In  the  railroad  yards  Dick  Cronk  hunted  out  his 
brother  Ernie,  and,  standing  over  him  in  a  manner  so 
threatening  that  the  astonished  hunchback  shrank  down 
in  fear,  he  bluntly  accused  him  of  informing  on  David 
Jenison. 


140  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  know  you  did  it,  Ernie,"  he  said,  when  the  other 
began  to  whimper  his  denials.  "  You  've  done  a  lot  of 
sneakin'  things,  but  this  is  the  sneakin'est.  If  you  ever 
peach  on  anybody  again,  I'll  —  well,  I  won't  say  just 
what  I  '11  do.  It  '11  be  good  and  plenty,  you  can  bet  on 
that." 

"What  '11  you  do?  "  sneered  Ernie,  but  cravenly. 

"  Something  I  did  n't  do  the  first  time,"  announced 
Dick  with  deadly  levemess.  Ernie  turned  very  cold. 

"  You  would  n't  hurt  me?  "  he  whined. 

"  I  'm  through  talkin'  about  it,"  said  Dick,  turning 
away.  "  Just  you  remember,  that 's  all." 

Colonel  Bob  Grand  descended  upon  the  show  the  fol 
lowing  afternoon.  His  customary  advent  was  always 
somewhat  in  the  nature  of  a  hawk's  visitation  among 
a  brood  of  chickens :  it  was  quite  as  disturbing  and 
equally  as  hateful.  Moreover,  like  the  hawk,  he  came 
when  least  expected. 

"  Oh,  how  I  loathe  that  man,"  whispered  Christine  to 
David.  She  was  waiting  for  her  turn  in  the  ring,  just 
inside  the  great  red  and  gold  curtains  at  the  entrance 
of  the  dressing-tent.  Tom  Sacks  was  peeping  through 
the  curtains  at  the  haze-enveloped  crowd  in  the  main 
tent.  David  and  the  slim  girl  in  red  were  standing  at 
the  big  gray  horse's  head  and  she  was  feeding  sugar  to 
the  animal.  The  youth  in  the  striped  tights  was  a  head 
taller  than  his  companion  —  for  David  was  then  but 
an  inch  or  two  short  of  six  feet  and  broadening  into 
manhood. 

Colonel  Grand  had  just  entered  the  dressing-tent 
with  Christine's  father,  and  was  paying  his  most  suave 
devotions  to  Mrs.  Braddock  across  the  way. 

"When  did  he  come?"  asked  David,  filled  with  a 
sharp  pity  for  the  girl,  who,  as  yet,  could  hardly  have 
suspected  the  real  object  of  his  visits. 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          141 

"  An  hour  ago.    David,  why  does  he  come  so  often?  " 

"  I  —  I  suppose  he  has  business  in  these  towns,"  he 
floundered  uncomfortably. 

"  My  mother  hates  him,  —  oh,  how  she  hates  him. 
I  don't  see  why  he  can't  see  it  and  stay  away  from  us. 
Of  course,  he  's  very  rich,  and  he  's  a  —  a  great  friend 
of  father's.  They  say  Colonel  Grand  gambles  and  — 
and  he  leaves  his  wife  alone  at  home  for  weeks  at  a  time. 
I  can't  bear  the  sight  of  his  face.  It  is  like  an  animal's 
to  me.  Have  you  seen  that  African  gazelle  out  in  the 
animal  top?  The  one  with  the  eyes  so  close  together 
and  the  long  white  nose?  Well,  that's  how  Colonel 
Grand  looks  to  me.  I  've  always  hated  that  horrid 
deer,  David.  I  see  it  in  my  dreams,  over  and  over  again, 
and  it  is  always  trying  to  butt  me  in  the  face  with  that 
awful  white  nose.  Is  n't  it  odd  that  I  should  dream  of 
it  so  much?  " 

"  It 's  just  a  fancy,  Christine.  You  '11  —  you  '11  out 
grow  it.  All  children  have  funny  dreams,"  he  said  with 
a  lame  attempt  at  humor. 

"  I  'm  fifteen,  David,"  she  said  severely.  "  I  don't 
like  you  to  say  such  things  to  me.  But,"  and  she 
beamed  a  smile  upon  him  that  fairly  dazzled,  "  I  do 
love  the  way  you  pronounce  my  name.  No  one  says  it 
just  as  you  do.  I  hate  being  called  Christie.  Don't 
you  ever  begin  calling  me  Christie.  Do  you  hear?  " 

"  I  've  always  loved  Christine,"  he  said  frankly.  Then 
he  felt  himself  blush  under  the  paint. 

She  hesitated,  suddenly  shy.  "  I  've  never  liked 
David  until  now,"  she  said.  "  I  've  always  liked  Absa 
lom  better.  Reginald  is  my  favorite  name,  —  or  Ethel- 
l»ert.  Still,  as  you  say,  I  will  doubtless  outgrow  them. 
Besides,  you  are  not  David.  You  are  poor  little  Jack 
Snipe." 

Her  warm  smile  faded  as  she  turned  her  eyes  in  the 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

direction  of  Colonel  Grand.  The  troubled  look  came 
back  to  them  at  once ;  there  was  a  subtle  spreading  of 
her  dainty  nostrils. 

"  How  I  hate  his  smile,"  she  said  in  very  low  tones. 

Without  looking1  at  David  again  she  passed  through 
the  curtains  after  Tom  Sacks  and  made  her  way  to  the 
ring,  a  jaunty  figure  that  gave  no  sign  of  the  uneasi 
ness  that  lurked  beneath  the  joyous  spangles. 

David  looked  after  her  for  a  moment.  He  became 
suddenly  conscious  of  the  fact  that  Colonel  Grand  was 
staring  at  him  across  the  intervening  space.  Turning, 
he  met  the  combined  gaze  of  the  three  persons  who 
formed  the  little  group.  There  was  a  comprehensive 
leer  on  the  face  of  the  Colonel. 

In  that  instant  there  flashed  through  David's  mind 
the  conviction  that  Colonel  Bob  Grand  was  to  play  an 
ugly  and  an  important  part  in  his  life.  Again  there 
came  over  him,  as  once  before,  the  insensate  desire  to 
strike  that  gray,  puttyish  face  with  all  his  might. 

He  had  been  kept  out  of  the  ring  during  the  early 
part  of  the  performance,  while  Artful  Dick  and  other 
cunning  scouts  were  satisfying  themselves  that  the 
Pinkerton  man  actually  had  given  up  the  chase.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  disgusted  operative  had  been  com 
pletely  fooled,  and  was  well  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia, 
cherishing  the  prospect  of  a  laugh  at  the  expense  of  the 
superintendent  who  had  sent  him  on  the  wild-goose 
chase. 

David  kept  a  wary  eye  open  for  the  danger  signal, 
which,  however,  was  not  to  come.  He  saw  the  Brad- 
docks  and  Colonel  Grand  leave  the  dressing-tent  and 
pass  into  the  open  air.  This  time  Braddock  walked 
ahead  with  his  unyielding  wife.  Apparently  he  was 
expostulating  with  her.  She  looked  neither  to  right 
nor  left,  but  walked  on  with  her  face  set  and  her  eyes 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          143 

narrowed  as  if  in  pain.  Colonel  Grand,  the  picture  of 
insolent  assurance,  sauntered  behind  them,  a  beatific 
smile  on  his  lips. 

The  Virginian  was  sitting  on  a  property  trunk,  de 
jectedly  staring  at  the  ground  when  Christine  returned 
from  the  ring.  Thunders  of  applause  had  told  him 
when  the  act  was  over ;  the  change  of  tune  by  the  band 
announced  the  beginning  of  the  next  act  —  that  of  the 
strong  man  and  his  wife.  How  well  David  remembered 
these  sudden  transitions.  He  almost  longed  to  be  out 
there  now,  in  the  thick  of  it,  with  good  old  Joey  Gri- 
naldi  at  his  side,  dodging  the  ringmaster's  lash  and 
grinning  at  the  j  okes  of  the  veteran. 

The  girl  came  straight  up  to  him,  her  anxious  gaze 
sweeping  the  interior.  She  was  about  to  speak  to  him, 
but  changed  her  mind  and  hurried  on  to  her  dressing- 
room.  An  instant  later  she  was  back,  greatly  agitated. 
"  Where  is  my  mother  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  They  went  away  a  few  minutes  ago,"  replied  David, 
as  unconcernedly  as  possible. 

"Where?  Where  did  they  go,  David?"  she  cried, 
her  voice  low  with  alarm. 

"  To  the  side-show,  I  think,"  prevaricated  he. 

He  saw  the  look  of  relief  struggling  into  her  face. 

"  She  —  she  always  cries  when  she  goes  out  with  them 
together,"  she  murmured  piteously.  "  Oh,  David,  I  'm 
so  worried.  I  don't  know  why  —  I  don't  know  what  it 
is  that  causes  me  to  feel  this  way.  But  I  am  frightened 

—  always  frightened." 

He  took  her  little  hand  between  his  own ;  it  was  trem 
bling  perceptibly.  Very  gently  he  sought  to  reassure 
her,  his  heart  so  full  that  his  voice  was  husky  with  the 
emotion  that  crowded  up  from  it. 

"  Nothing  ever  can  happen  to  your  mother,  Christine 

—  nothing.      Please   don't  worry,   little   girl.      Colonel 


144.  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Grand  can't  —  won't  do  anything  to  hurt  her.  Your 
father  won't  let  that  happen.  He  won't  —  " 

"  David,  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  she  said  slowly, 
looking  straight  into  his  eyes  and  speaking  almost  in 
a  monotone.  He  started.  For  a  moment  he  was 
speechless. 

"  You  must  not  say  that,  Christine,"  he  said. 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  said  it,"  she  responded,  ner 
vously  biting  her  nether  lip.  Then  she  smiled,  her  white 
teeth  gleaming  against  the  carmine.  "  She  '11  be  back 
presently,  I  know.  I  'm  so  silly." 

"  You  are  very  young,  you  '11  have  to  admit,  after 
this  display,"  he  chided.  She  left  him. 

Joey  Grinaldi  came  in  a  few  minutes  later  and  took 
his  protege  off  to  the  ring,  with  the  assurance  that  "  the 
coast "  was  clear.  All  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  David's 
heart  ached  with  a  dull  pain.  He  could  hardly  wait 
for  the  time  to  come  when  he  could  return  to  the  dress 
ing-tent.  At  last,  he  raced  from  the  ring,  pursued  by 
the  inflated  bladder  in  the  hand  of  Joey  Grinaldi,  their 
joint  mummery  over  for  the  afternoon. 

Christine  was  sitting  on  the  trunk  that  he  had  occu 
pied  so  recently ;  Mrs.  Braddock  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"  David,"  she  said  slowly,  as  he  drew  up  panting, 
"  they  did  not  go  to  the  side-show." 

He  was  spared  the  necessity  of  an  answer  by  the 
providential  return  of  the  girl's  mother.  She  came  in 
alone  from  the  main  tent.  A  glance  showed  them  both 
that  she  had  been  crying.  Christine  sprang  forward 
with  a  little  cry  and  slipped  her  arm  through  her 
mother's. 

As  they  passed  by  David  the  mother's  stiff,  tense  lips 
were  moving  painfully.  He  heard  her  say,  as  if  to 
herself : 

"  I  cannot  —  I  will  not  endure  it  any  longer.  I  can 
not,  my  child." 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          145 

David  stood  before  her  the  next  instant,  his  face 
writhing  with  fury,  his  hands  clenched. 

"Is  —  is  there  anything  I  can  do,  Mrs.  Braddock? 
Tell  me !  Can  I  do  anytking  for  you  ?  "  he  cried. 

She  stared  for  a  moment,  as  if  bewildered.  Then  her 
face  lightened.  The  tears  sprang  afresh  to  her  eyes. 

"  No,  David,"  she  said  gently.  "  There  is  nothing 
you  can  do." 

"  But  if  there  should  be  anything  I  can  do  —  "  he 
went  on  imploringly.  She  shook  her  head  and  smiled. 

As  soon  as  he  could  change  his  clothes  David  hurried 
out  to  the  menagerie  tent.  For  many  minutes  he  stood 
before  the  cage  containing  the  African  gazelle,  fasci 
nated  by  the  nose  and  eyes  of  the  lachrymose  beast. 
He  stared  for  a  long  time  before  becoming  aware  that 
the  animal  was  looking  at  him  just  as  intently  from  the 
other  side  of  the  bars.  It  was  as  if  the  creature  with 
the  broad  white  muzzle  and  limpid  eyes  was  studying 
him  with  all  the  intentness  of  a  human  being.  An  un 
canny  feeling  took  possession  of  the  boy.  He  laughed 
nervously,  half  expecting  the  solemn  starer  to  smile  in 
return  —  with  the  smile  of  Colonel  Grand.  But  the 
deer's  eyes  did  not  blink  or  waver,  nor  was  there  the 
slightest  deviation  of  its  melancholy  gaze. 

A  voice  from  behind  addressed  the  lone  spectator. 

"  Attractive  brute,  is  n't  he  ?  " 

David  turned.  Colonel  Grand  was  standing  a  few 
feet  away,  gazing  with  no  little  interest  at  the  occupant 
of  the  cage. 

Young  Jenison  did  not  reply  at  once.  He  was  mo- 
menta-rily  occupied  in  a  mental  comparison  of  the  two 
faces. 

"  It  is  our  latest  curiosity  from  the  wilds  of  Africa," 
he  said,  his  eyes  hardening.  A  Jenison  could  not  look 
with  complacency  on  a  man  who,  first  of  all,  had  fought 

10 


146  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

against  his  own  people,  even  though  one  Jenison  had 
been  a  traitor  to  the  cause. 

"  The  only  one  in  captivity,"  quoted  the  Colonel. 
He  had  the  smooth,  dry  voice  of  a  practiced  man  of  the 
world. 

"  That 's  what  they  say  on  the  bills,  sir."  He  was 
walking  away  when  the  other,  with  some  acerbity,  called 
to  him. 

"  What 's  your  name?  " 

"  Snipe,  sir,"  said  David,  after  a  second's  hesitation. 

"  I  've  seen  you  back  there  in  the  dressing-tent.  You 
don't  look  like  a  circus  performer." 

"  I  am  a  clown,"  observed  David  coolly. 

Colonel  Grand  came  up  beside  him.  They  strolled 
past  several  cages  before  either  spoke  again. 

"  You  are  new  at  the  business,"  remarked  the  older 
man.  David  felt  that  the  Colonel  was  looking  at  him, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  seemed  to  be  en 
gaged  in  a  close  inspection  of  the  cages. 

"  I  am  a  beginner.     Joey  Grinaldi  is  training  me." 

Thomas  Braddock  was  watching  them  from  beyond 
the  camel  pen. 

"  It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  I  am  accustomed 
to  civility  in  all  people  employed  by  this  show,"  said 
Colonel  Grand  levelly. 

"  Do  you  always  get  what  you  expect?  "  asked  David, 
stopping  short. 

The  Colonel  faced  him. 

"  Young  man,"  said  he,  after  a  deliberate  pause, 
"  let  me  add  to  my  original  remark,  I  always  get  what 
I  expect." 

"  Then  I  suppose  you  expect  me  to  sever  my  con 
nection  with  this  show,"  said  David,  looking  straight 
into  his  eyes. 

The  Colonel  smiled.  "  Your  real  name  is  Jenison, 
is  n't  it?  " 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          147 

"  Yes,"  said  David  defiantly.  The  Colonel  was 
startled.  He  had  not  expected  this,  at  any  rate. 

"  And  you  are  wanted  for  murder,  I  understand." 

"  Yes." 

"  By  George,  you  take  it  coolly,"  exclaimed  the  other, 
not  without  a  trace  of  admiration  in  his  voice. 

"  Why  should  I  equivocate?  "  demanded  David  coldly. 
"  You  are  in  possession  of  all  the  facts.  What  do  you 
intend  to  do  about  it?  " 

The  Colonel's  eyes  narrowed.  There  was  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  anger  in  his  manner,  however. 

"  I  intend  to  have  your  wages  increased,"  he  said 
quietly. 

David  could  not  conceal  his  surprise,  nor  could  he 
suppress  the  gleam  of  relief  that  leaped  to  his  eyes. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  he  muttered. 

"  I  expect  you  to  remain  with  this  show  until  the  end 
of  the  season,"  said  the  Colonel  grimly. 

David  pondered  this  remark  for  a  moment. 

"  I  may  not  care  to  stay  so  long  as  that  — "  he 
began,  puzzled  by  the  Colonel's  attitude  toward  him. 

"  But  you  "will  stay,"  said  the  other,  fastening  his 
gaze  on  David's  chin  —  doubtless  in  the  hope  of  seeing 
it  quiver.  "  If  you  attempt  to  leave  this  show,  I  will  — 
Well,  a  word  to  the  wise,  young  man." 

"  You  don't  own  this  show !  "  flared  David.  "  And 
you  can't  bully  me !  " 

Not  a  muscle  moved  in  the  face  of  the  tall  Colonel. 
In  slow,  even  tones  he  remarked :  "  I  am  not  cowardly 
enough  to  bully  a  wretch  whom  I  can  hang." 

In  spite  of  himself,  David  shrank  from  this  cold 
blooded  rejoinder. 

"  See  here,  Jenison,"  went  on  Colonel  Grand,  noting 
the  effect  of  his  words,  "  I  have  a  certain  amount  of 
respect  for  your  feelings,  because  you  are  a  Southerner, 


148  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

as  I  am.  You  have  pride  and  you  have  courage.  You 
are  a  gentleman.  You  are  the  only  gentleman  at  pres 
ent  engaged  in  this  profession,  I  '11  say  that  for  you. 
There  is  a  probability  that  you  may  not  be  so  unique  in 
the  course  of  a  week  or  two.  I  am  already  a  part  owner 
of  this  concern.  You  know  that,  of  course.  It  is  pretty 
generally  known  among  the  performers  that  I  have  a 
creditor's  lien  on  the  business.  I  wish  you  would  oblige 
me  by  announcing  to  your  friends  that  I  have  taken 
over  a  third  interest  in  the  show  in  lieu  of  certain  notes 
and  mortgages.  From  to-day  I  am  to  be  recognized  as 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  Van  Slye's  Circus.  Do  you 
grasp  it  ?  " 

David,  a  great  lump  in  his  throat,  merely  nodded. 

"  Considerable  of  my  time  henceforth  will  be  spent 
with  the  show.  I  intend  to  elevate  you  to  better  asso 
ciations.  You  are  of  my  own  class.  I  'm  going  to  give 
you  the  society  that  you,  as  a  Jenison  of  the  Virginia 
Jenisons,  deserve.  It  won't  be  necessary  for  you  to 
mingle  with  pickpockets  and  roustabouts  and  common 
ring  performers.  There  will  be  a  select  little  coterie. 
I  fancy  you  can  guess  who  will  comprise  our  little  circle 
—  our  set,  as  you  might  call  it.  There  are  better  times 
ahead  for  you,  Jenison.  Your  days  of  riding  in  a  tab 
leau  wagon  are  over.  I  shall  expect  you  to  join  our 
exclusive  little  circle  —  where  may  be  found  represen 
tatives  of  the  best  families  in  the  South  and  North. 
Portman,  Jenison  and  Grand.  Splendid  names,  my 
boy.  Ah,  I  see  Mr.  Braddock  over  there.  We  are  din 
ing  this  evening  at  the  best  restaurant  in  town.  Will 
you  join  us?  Good!  I  shall  expect  you  at  six." 

He  had  not  removed  his  eyes  from  the  paling  face 
of  his  auditor  at  any  time  during  this  extraordinary 
speech.  He  saw  surprise,  dismay,  perplexity  and  in 
dignation  flit  across  that  face,  and  in  the  end  something 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          149 

akin  to  stupefaction.  Without  waiting  for  David's 
response  to  the  invitation  —  which  was  a  command  — 
he  smiled  blandly  and  walked  away  in  the  direction  of 
the  camel  pen. 

For  a  full  minute  Jenison  stood  there,  staring  after 
him,  his  heart  as  cold  as  ice,  his  arms  hanging  nerveless 
at  his  sides.  The  real,  underlying  motive  of  the  man 
was  slow  in  forcing  itself  into  his  brain. 

He  was  to  be  used !  He  was  to  be  made  a  part  of  the 
ugly  web  Colonel  Grand  was  weaving  about  the  unhappy 
Braddocks ! 

All  the  innate  chivalry  in  the  boy's  nature  sprang  up 
in  rebellion  against  this  calm  devilry.  A  blind  rage 
assailed  his  senses.  For  the  moment  there  was  real  mur 
der  in  his  heart;  his  vision  was  red  and  unsteady;  his 
whole  body  shook  with  the  tumult  of  blood  that  surged 
to  his  brain.  Impelled  by  an  irresistible  force,  his  legs 
carried  him  ten  paces  or  more  toward  the  object  of  his 
loathing  before  his  better  judgment  revived  sufficiently 
to  put  a  check  on  the  mad  impulse.  Instead  of  rushing 
on  to  certain  disaster,  he  conquered  the  desire  to  strike 
for  his  own  pride  and  for  the  honor  of  the  woman  in  the 
case ;  he  had  the  good  sense  to  see  that  he  could  gain 
no  lasting  satisfaction  by  physical  assault  upon  the  man 
nor  could  he  expect  to  help  matters  by  reproaching 
Thomas  Braddock  for  the  miserable  part  he  was  playing 
in  the  affair. 

Covered  with  shame  and  anger,  he  abruptly  hurried 
away  from  the  scene  of  temptation,  making  his  way  to 
the  dressing-tent,  where  he  hoped  to  find  Joey  Grinaldi. 

The  clown  met  him  at  the  entrance  to  the  main  tent. 
It  was  apparent  that  he  had  been  waiting  there  for  his 
protege. 

"  Joey !  "  cried  David,  all  the  bitterness  in  his  soul 
leaping  to  his  lips,  "  do  you  know  what  has  happened?  " 


150  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Joey's  quaint  old  visage  was  never  so  solemn.  His 
pipe  was  out ;  it  hung  rather  limply  in  his  mouth. 

"  Mrs.  Braddock  'as  told  me,"  he  said.  "  They  'ad 
to  do  it.  They  owed  'im  nearly  seventeen  thousand 
dollars." 

"  What  is  to  become  of  her  —  and  Christine?  "  cried 
the  boy,  his  face  working. 

"  The  good  God  may  take  care  of  'em,"  returned  the 
clown  slowly.  He  puffed  hard  at  his  cold  pipe.  "  I  'm 
not  surprised  at  wot 's  'appened,  Jacky.  It 's  part  of 
'is  game.  Some  day  afore  long  he  '11  kick  Braddock  out 
of  the  business  altogether.  That 's  the  next  step.  She 
can't  do  anything,  either.  All  she  's  got  in  the  world 
is  in  this  'ere  show.  If  —  if  she  'd  only  go  back  home 
to  her  father!  But,  dang  it,  she  swears  she  won't  do 
that.  She  '11  work  in  the  streets  first." 

"  She  can  have  all  I  've  got,"  announced  David 
eagerly. 

"  She  ain't  the  kind  to  give  up  this  'ere  property 
without  a  fight,  Jacky.  They  '11  'ave  to  make  it  abso 
lutely  impossible  for  her  to  stay  afore  she  '11  knuckle 
to  'em.  She  's  got  pluck,  Mary  Braddock  'as.  I  know 
positive  she  'as  more  'n  twenty  thousand  in  this  show. 
She  put  most  of  it  in  a  couple  of  years  ago  when  Brad 
swung  over  the  deal  with  Van  Slye.  Since  then  she  's 
put  the  rest  in  to  save  the  shebang.  I  say,  Jacky,  I 
observed  you  a-talking  to  him.  Wot  is  he  going  to  do 
with  you?  Give  you  the  bounce?  " 

"  No,"  said  David,  clenching  his  hands.  Then  he 
repeated  all  that  had  taken  place  in  the  menagerie  tent. 

"  I  will  not  sit  at  table  with  that  beast,"  he  exclaimed 
in  conclusion. 

Joey  led  him  off  to  a  less  conspicuous  part  of  the 
tent.  He  appeared  to  be  turning  something  over  in 
his  mind  as  they  walked  along. 


AN    INVITATION    TO    SUPPER          151 

"  Jacky,  I  know  it  goes  'ard  with  a  gentleman  like 
you  to  sit  down  with  a  rascal  like  'im,  but  I  fancy  you  '11 
'ave  to  lump  your  pride  and  do  wot  he  arsks." 

"  I  'm  —  I  'm  hanged  if  I  do !  "  cried  the  other. 

"  Well,  now,  just  look  at  it  from  another  point," 
said  Joey  earnestly.  "  You  can't  afford  to  oppose 
'im  right  now.  Besides,  there 's  others  as  needs  you. 
There  's  got  to  be  some  one  in  the  party  to  look  out 
for  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine.  Brad  won't,  so 
you  're  the  one.  Stick  to  'em,  Jacky,  and  if  needs  be, 
the  whole  show  will  back  you  up.  You  just  go  to 
supper  with  'em." 

"  You  're  right,  Joey,"  said  David,  his  face  flushing. 
"  They  stood  by  me,  I  '11  stand  by  them." 

"  The  restaurant  is  down  the  main  street  near  the 
'otel,"  explained  the  old  clown.  "  Ruby  and  me  will 
walk  down  with  you.  And,  by  the  way,  I  've  been  talk 
ing  with  Dick  Cronk  about  you.  He  arsked  me  to 
tell  j^ou  to  be  mighty  careful  of  that  wad  o'  money." 
Joey  winked  his  left  eye.  "  He  's  a  terrible  honest  sort 
of  chap,  Dick  is,  so  I  told  'im  you  'd  put  it  in  a  bank. 
Which  relieved  'im  tremendous.  He  's  took  a  fancy  to 
you,  and  he  says  he  's  working  on  a  scheme  to  get  you 
out  of  all  your  troubles  at  'ome." 

"  Oh,  if  there  is  only  a  way  to  do  it !  "  cried  David 
fervently.  "  If  I  could  go  back  to  dear  old  Jenison 
Hall,  Joey !  I  could  give  them  a  home  —  for  all  their 
lives.  I  would  do  it.  And  you  could  come  there,  Joey 
—  you  and  Ruby.  Oh,  you  don't  know  how  I  long  to 
be  there.  My  old  home !  I  —  I  —  " 

"  Don't  get  excited  now,  laddie,"  warned  old  Joey. 
He  spent  a  minute  in  calculation.  "  That  there  Dick 
Cronk  is  a  mighty  cute  chap.  You  never  can  tell  wot 
he  's  got  in  that  noddle  of  'is.  No,  sir,  you  never  can 
tell." 


CHAPTER    IX 

A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT 

THAT  supper  was  one  of  the  incidents  in  David  Jeni- 
son's  life  always  to  stand  out  clear  and  undimmed. 
The  party  of  five  sat  at  a  table  in  a  remote  corner  of 
the  dingy  little  eating-house.  At  no  time  were  they 
free  from  the  curious  gaze  of  the  people  who  filled  the 
place,  a  noisy  bumptious  crowd  of  country  people 
making  the  most  of  a  holiday.  The  glamour  was  over 
them.  Some  one  had  recognized  "  Little  Starbright  " 
in  the  simply  clad,  demure  young  girl;  the  word  was 
passed  from  table  to  table.  She  was  stared  at  and 
whispered  about  from  the  time  she  entered  the  place 
until  she  left. 

David,  alert  and  dogged,  soon  forgot  the  boorishness 
of  the  country-folk,  however,  in  the  painful  study  of 
conditions  near  at  hand.  Colonel  Grand,  the  host,  was 
most  affable.  More  than  that,  he  was  tactful.  While 
there  was  an  unmistakable  air  of  proprietorship  in  his 
manner,  he  had  the  delicacy  or  the  cleverness  not  to 
allow  it  to  become  even  remotely  oppressive.  He  man 
aged  it  so  that  the  conversation  was  carried  on  almost 
entirely  by  the  two  men.  Now  and  then  the  three  pal 
pably  unwilling  guests  were  drawn  into  it,  but  with 
such  subtlety  on  the  part  of  their  host  that  they  were 
surprised  into  a  momentarily  active  participation. 
Thomas  Braddock,  cleanly  shaven  and  rather  uncom 
fortably  neat  as  to  the  matter  of  linen,  was  garrulous 
t»  the  point  of  noisiness.  He  confined  his  remarks  to 
the  Colonel,  or,  in  a  general  way,  to  the  tables  near  by, 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  153 

with  an  occasional  furtive  glance  at  his  wife's  set,  un 
smiling  face  by  way  of  noting  the  effect  on  her.  The 
topics  were  commonplace  enough:  the  weather,  the 
prospects  ahead,  the  improvements  to  be  made  in  the 
show  as  business  got  better. 

Mrs.  Braddock,  who  sat  at  the  Colonel's  left,  was  so 
noticeably  pale  and  repressed  that  David  wondered  if 
she  would  be  able  to  go  to  the  end  of  the  wretched  trav 
esty  without  fainting.  Unutterable  despair  hung  over 
her  lowered  eyelids ;  it  stood  out  plainly  in  the  lines 
at  the  corners  of  her  mouth.  Christine  seldom  looked 
up  from  her  plate.  She  sat  next  to  David.  He  felt 
the  restraint  and  embarrassment  under  which  the  girl 
suffered.  Her  cheek  went  red  on  more  than  one  oc 
casion  when  her  father's  coarse  humor  offended  her 
delicate  sensibilities ;  she  paled  under  the  veiled,  in 
sinuating  compliments  of  the  other.  Once  David's 
hand  accidentally  touched  hers,  below  the  edge  of  the 
table.  His  strong  fingers  at  once  closed  over  hers  and 
for  many  minutes  he  held  them  tight,  unknown  to  any 
but  themselves.  The  dark  lashes  drooped  lower  on  her 
cheeks ;  he  could  almost  detect  the  flutter  in  her 
throat. 

The  ghastly  meal  drew  to  a  close.  The  Colonel, 
leaning  forward,  was  gazing  through  half-closed  lids 
at  the  profile  of  the  woman  beside  him.  His  long, 
white  fingers  fumbled  with  an  unused  spoon  beside  her 
plate.  Once  she  had  hitched  her  chair  a  little  farther 
away  from  his,  —  an  abrupt  proceeding  that  had  not 
failed  to  attract  David's  attention. 

"  Well,  we  will  have  many  of  these  j  oily  little 
spreads,"  he  was  saying  in  his  oiliest  tones.  "  Birds  of 
a  feather,  you  know.  Ha,  ha !  That 's  rather  a  clever 
way  of  putting  it,  eh,  Jack?  " 

Braddock  laughed  boisterously.      He  had  lighted  a 


154  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

cigar  regardless  of  the  waiter's  polite  announcement 
that  smoking  was  not  allowed. 

"  Yes,  we  Avill  dine  together  frequently.  I  like  these 
gay  little  affairs,"  went  on  the  Colonel,  not  even  at 
tempting  to  conceal  his  shrug  of  disgust  for  Braddock. 
"  I  am  leaving  for  home  to-night,  but  I  expect  to  return 
in  two  or  three  days.  You  must  all  join  hands  in  break 
ing  me  into  the  circus  business.  Don't  let  me  be  a  — 
what  is  it  you  call  it?  A  rube,  that's  it.  We'll  be 
the  show's  happy  family.  Every  circus  has  a  '  happy 
family.'  Yes,  'pon  my  soul,  I  like  the  life.  I  do  enjoy 
these  quiet,  impromptu  little  suppers." 

David  was  suddenly  conscious  that  Braddock's  eyes 
were  upon  him.  He  met  the  gaze,  curiously  impelled. 
The  man's  face  was  almost  purple ;  the  look  in  his  eyes 
was  not  of  anger,  but  of  a  shame  that  sprung  from 
what  little  there  was  of  manhood  left  in  him.  Brad- 
dock  looked  away  quickly,  and  an  instant  later  an 
nounced  that  it  was  time  to  get  back  to  the  "  lot." 

In  front  of  the  restaurant  they  came  upon  Artful 
Dick  Cronk.  The  pickpocket  made  no  attempt  to 
speak  to  them,  but  when  his  eye  caught  David's,  he 
closed  it  slowly  in  a  very  expressive  wink. 

Braddock  hurried  on  ahead,  explaining  that  he  was 
obliged  to  look  after  something  at  the  grounds. 

"I'll  look  after  them,"  said  the  Colonel  affably. 
"  With  Jack's  assistance,"  he  supplemented.  Christine 
clutched  her  mother's  arm.  The  Colonel  and  David 
dropped  behind,  for  the  narrow  sidewalk  was  crowded. 
In  this  fashion  they  made  their  way  to  the  show 
grounds.  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  did  not  once 
look  behind.  Colonel  Grand  chatted  amiably  with  his 
young  companion,  but  never  for  an  instant  was  his  gaze 
diverted  from  the  straight,  proud  figure  of  the  woman 
ahead. 


155 

He  entered  the  dressing-tent  with  them.  There  he 
quietly  said  good-by  to  the  three  of  them.  The  tears 
of  indignation  were  still  standing  in  Christine's  eyes. 
He  willfully  misinterpreted  their  significance.  A  hate 
ful  tenderness  came  into  his  voice,  but  it  did  not  disturb 
the  sneer  on  his  lips. 

"  Don't  cry,  little  one ;  it  is  only  for  a  few  days," 
he  said. 

Christine's  face  flamed. 

"  It 's  —  it 's  not  because  you  are  going  away !  "  she 
cried  in  angry  astonishment.  "  I  wish  you  would 
never  come  back !  Never !  " 

He  smiled  broadly.  "  Dear  me !  And  I  thought  we 
were  getting  on  so  nicely.  Pray  control  yourself,  my 
dear.  I  had  no  idea  you  could  be  so  ferocious.  Who 
does  she  get  it  from,  Mary?  " 

Mrs.  Braddock  started  as  if  stung.  Her  eyes  di 
lated.  It  was  the  first  time  he  had  called  her  by  her 
Christian  name. 

"  How  dare  you  ?  "  •  she  cried,  her  breast  heaving 
with  suppressed  anger. 

He  shook  his  head  dejectedly.  "I  have  much  to 
learn,  it  seems." 

She  opened  her  lips  to  say  more,  but  reconsidered, 
and  abruptly  turned  away,  drawing  Christine  after  her 
into  the  women's  section. 

Colonel  Grand  turned  to  David.  "  Young  man,"  he 
said  sharply,  "  I  don't  like  the  way  you  look  at  me. 
Stop!  Not  a  word,  sir!  I  have  taken  up  the  show 
business  seriously.  I  find  that  our  animal  tamers  are 
entirely  competent.  What  we  need  here  is  a  tamer  for 
vicious  and  ungentle  bipeds.  There  is  a  way  to  tame 
them,  just  as  there  is  a  way  to  break  the  spirit  of  the 
lion  or  the  tiger.  It  shall  be  my  special  duty  to  deal 
with  these  unruly  human  beings.  I  hope  you  grasp  my 


156  THE-   ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

meaning.  It  would  not  be  to  my  liking  to  begin  my 
experiments  on  a  young  gentleman  of  Virginia." 

"  Sir,  you  've  already  begun ! "  cried  David  in  a 
choking  voice.  "  You  may  do  what  you  like  with  me, 
but  you  've  j  ust  got  to  let  her  alone.  You  —  " 

Colonel  Grand  held  up  his  hand.  David  seemed  to 
be  gasping  for  breath. 

"  That 's  the  very  thing  I  like  about  you,  Jack," 
said  his  late  host  derisively.  "  I  can  always  depend 
upon  you  to  look  after  the  ladies.  They  will  be  abso 
lutely  safe  while  you  are  with  them.  There  is  a  distinct 
advantage  in  having  a  real  gentleman  about.  You  see, 
I  can't  always  be  on  hand  to  —  to  protect  them  from 
such  bullies  as  Thomas  Braddock." 

His  allusion  to  Braddock  was  strikingly  impersonal. 

"  I  am  making  you  my  first  lieutenant  —  no,  my 
aide-de-camp,  Jack.  All  you  are  required  to  do  is 
to  obey  orders.  Don't  run  the  risk  of  a  court-martial, 
my  lad.  It  occurs  to  me  that  an  uncle  of  yours  has 
had  an  experience  of  that  —  but,  never  mind.  Your 
first  duty,  sir,  is  to  convince  the  ladies  that  I  shall 
•expect  them  to  be  in  better  humor  when  I  return  from 
the  East." 

The  words  came  from  his  lips  with  biting  emphasis; 
the  smooth  oily  tone  was  gone.  There  was  no  pre 
tense  now ;  he  was  showing  his  fangs. 

David  could  only  glare  at  him,  white  to  the  lips.  He 
could  not  speak.  He  could  only  look  the  hatred  that 
welled  in  his  heart.  But  down  in  that  heart  he  was  telling 
himself  that  some  day  he  would  crush  this  monster. 

Colonel  Grand  studied  the  clean-cut,  aristocratic  face 
for  a  moment.  A  conciliatory  smile  came  to  his  lips. 

"  Don't  forget  that  I  am  doing  you  a  good  turn,"  he 
said.  "  Christie  is  a  very  pretty  girl.  She  's  fond  of 
you.  If  you  're  smart,  you  '11  make  the  most  of  her. 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  157 

You  ought  to  thank  me  instead  of  —  ah,  but  I  see  you 
do  thank  me."  He  willfully  misjudged  the  expression 
on  David's  face.  "  I  see  no  reason  why  you  can't  spend 
a  most  agreeable  season  with  us,  Jack." 

"  Colonel  Grand,"  said  David  very  slowly,  con 
trolling  himself  admirably,  "  if  it  were  not  that  I  now 
regard  it  as  my  sacred  duty  to  stay  with  this  show,  I 
would  defy  you,  sir,  and  denounce  you,  let  the  conse 
quences  be  as  disastrous  to  me  as  you  like.  I  am  not 
afraid  of  you.  I  can  go  back  home  —  to  j  ail  —  with  my 
head  up  and  my  heart  clean,  if  you  choose  to  send  me 
there.  I  am  not  afraid  of  even  that.  But  I  am  afraid  of 
something  else.  That  is  why  I  am  ready  to  bear  your 
insults,  to  humble  myself,  to  submit  to  your  —  your 
commands.  Not  for  my  own  safety,  but  for  the  safety 
of  others.  Permit  me,  sir,  as  a  gentleman,  to  assure 
you  that  you  can  depend  on  me  to  carry  out  at  least  a 
part  of  your  instructions  as  faithfully  as  God  will  let 
me.  I  mean  by  that,  sir,  your  instructions  to  protect 
the  ladies!  " 

He  turned  on  his  heel  and  left  the  Colonel  standing 
there,  a  flush  mounting  to  his  flabby  cheek. 

"  Braddock,"  he  said,  a  few  minutes  later,  "  I  'm 
going  to  break  that  Jenison  boy  if  it  takes  me  a  year  — 
yes,  ten  years." 

"What's  up?"  demanded  Braddock,  rolling  his 
cigar  over  uneasily.  "  Been  sassing  you  ?  " 

"  People  of  his  class  do  not  sass,  as  you  call  it,"  said 
Colonel  Grand  shortly. 

"  Well,  shall  I  kick  him  out  of  the  show?  "  asked  the 
other,  perplexed.  Remembering  David's  money,  he 
supplemented  quickly:  "  Say  in  a  week  or  two?  " 

"  No.  That  is  just  what  I  don't  want  you  to  do. 
He  stays,  Braddock.  Understand?" 

"  All  right,"  agreed  the  other  hastily.     "  I  like  the 


158  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

kid.  He  's  good  company  for  Christie,  too.  Tony  sort 
of  a  chap,  ain't  he?  I  can  tell  'em  every  pop.  I  said 
to  my  wife  that  first  night  —  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  you  've  told  me  that,"  interrupted 
Grand  impatiently.  "  You  keep  him  here,  that 's  all. 
When  I  'm  through  with  him  you  may  kick  him  out. 
There  won't  be  much  left  to  kick." 

For  a  long  time  after  the  departure  of  his  new 
partner,  Thomas  Braddock's  attitude  of  extreme 
thoughtfulness  puzzled  those  who  took  the  trouble  to 
observe  him.  At  last,  when  his  cigar  was  chewed  to  a 
pulp  and  the  night's  performance  was  half  over,  light 
broke  in  upon  him.  He  fancied  that  he  had  solved  the 
Colonel's  designs  regarding  David  Jenison.  His  face 
cleared,  but  again  clouded  ominously ;  he  conversed 
with  himself,  aloud. 

"  By  thunder,  if  he  thinks  I  'm  going  to  let  him 
gobble  up  that  kid's  money,  he 's  mistaken.  Why 
didn't  I  think  of  this  before?  I  might  have  known. 
It 's  the  long  green  he  's  after.  I  wonder  who  told  him 
about  the  two  thousand."  He  scratched  his  head  in 
sudden  perplexity.  "  I  wonder  what 's  got  into  Dick 
Cronk.  He 's  too  blamed  good,  all  of  a  sudden. 
That  brother  of  his  might  try  the  j  ob,  but  —  no, 
he  'd  bungle  it.  Besides,  he  'd  probably  stick  a  knife 
into  Davy  if  the  kid  made  a  motion."  He  began  chew 
ing  a  fresh  cigar;  his  pop-eyes  were  leveled  with  un 
seeing  fierceness  at  a  certain  patch  in  the  "  main  top  " ; 
his  brain  was  seeing  nothing  but  that  packet  of  bank 
notes.  How  to  get  it  into  his  possession :  that  was  the 
question  that  produced  the  undiverted  stare  and  the 
lowering  droop  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth. 

"  I  've  got  to  get  that  wad,"  he  was  saying  to  him 
self,  over  and  over  again,  with  almost  tearful  insistence. 
Driven  by  the  value  of  propinquity,  he  finally  made  his 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  159 

way  to  the  dressing-tent.  The  performers  were  sur 
prised  to  find  him  unnaturally  sober  and  quite  jovial. 
A  certain  nervousness  marked  his  manner.  He  chatted 
amiably  with  the  leading  men  and  women  in  his  com 
pany  ;  the  fact  that  he  removed  the  cigar  from  his  lips 
while  conversing  with  Ruby  Noakes  and  the  Iron- 
jawed  Woman,  created  no  little  amazement  in  them.  He 
was  especially  gentle  with  his  wife,  and  superlatively  so 
with  his  daughter,  both  of  whom  were  slow  to  show  the 
slightest  sense  of  responsive  warmth.  He  proudly,  al 
most  belligerently,  proclaimed  Christine  to  be  the  love 
liest  creature  that  ever  stepped  into  the  sawdust  ring. 
In  spite  of  that  fact,  however,  it  was  his  plan  to  have 
her  retire  at  the  end  of  the  season,  when,  if  all  went 
well,  she  was  to  go  to  a  splendid  school  for  young 
ladies. 

Mrs.  Braddock  eyed  him  narrowly.  She  was  search 
ing  for  the  cause  of  this  sudden  ebullience,  this  as 
tounding  surrender  to  her  own  views  regarding  their 
daughter.  As  for  Christine,  she  was  more  afraid  of  him 
than  she  had  been  in  all  her  life.  This  new  mood  sug 
gested  some  vague,  undefinable  trouble  for  her  mother. 
The  girl's  rapidly  developing  estimate  of  her  father  was 
taking  away  all  the  illusions  she  had  been  innocently 
cherishing  up  to  the  last  few  weeks.  To  her  horror, 
she  was  beginning  to  look  for  something  sinister  in  all 
that  he  undertook  to  do  or  say. 

Unable  to  face  the  speculative  anxiety  in  the  eyes  of 
his  wife  and  child,  Braddock  edged  off  to  the  men's 
section  of  the  tent.  His  furtive,  nervous  glances  about 
the  small  apartment  escaped  the  notice  of  the  men  who 
were  changing  their  apparel.  To  his  own  disgust,  a 
cold  perspiration  began  to  ooze  out  all  over  his  body 
—  the  moisture  of  extreme  nervousness  and  indecision. 
He  took  a  stiff  pull  at  his  brandy  flask. 


160  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

;His  shifting  gaze  ultimately  rested  on  David  Jenison's 
neatly  deposited  clothing.  The  boy  was  in  the  ring. 
His  "  street-wear  "  lay  on  a  "  keester  "  somewhat  apart 
from  the  heterogeneous  pile  of  men's  apparel  on  the 
adjacent  boxes.  David's  "pile"  was  close  to  the  out 
side  wall  of  the  tent.  Braddock  marked  its  location  in 
respect  to  a  certain  side  pole.  He  began  to  tremble ; 
a  weakness  fell  upon  him ;  the  resolution  partly  formed 
in  the  big  tent,  and  which  had  drawn  him  resistlessly 
to  this  very  spot,  gained  strength  as  his  blinking  eyes 
swerved  their  gaze  from  time  to  time  in  the  direction 
of  the  "  pile."  All  the  while  he  was  talking  volubly 
and  without  a  sentient  purpose. 

After  fifteen  minutes  he  sauntered  from  the  section, 
cold  with  apprehension  but  absolutely  determined  on 
the  action  which  was  to  follow.  Leaving  the  tent,  he 
strolled  off  toward  the  ticket  wagon,  carefully  noting 
the  position  of  the  men  who  were  loading  the  menagerie 
tent  for  the  trip  ahead.  A  cautious  detour  brought 
him  back  to  the  dressing-tent,  and  directly  in  front  of 
the  spot  where  David's  clothing  was  deposited. 

The  trembling  increased.  His  mouth  filled  with 
saliva.  He  felt  of  his  hair.  It  was  wet.  As  he  stood 
there  shivering  and  irresolute,  the  band  struck  up  the 
tune  that  signified  much  to  his  present  venture,  —  the 
tune  heralding  the  approach  of  the  entire  company  of 
male  performers  in  the  "  ground  and  lofty  tumbling 
act."  It  meant  that  the  men's  section  would  be  entirely 
deserted  for  five  or  ten  minutes. 

Thomas  Braddock  was  not  a  thief.  He  never  had 
stolen  anything  in  his  life.  He  did  not  intend  to  steal 
now.  Before  he  entered  the  dressing-tent,  half  an  hour 
ago,  he  had  justified  himself  unto  himself:  he  was  not 
going  to  steal  David's  money.  His  purpose  was  an 
honest  one,  or  so  his  conscience  had  been  resolutely 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  161 

convinced.  He  meant  to  surreptitiously  borrow  the 
idle  money,  that  was  all.  Toward  the  end  of  the  season, 
when  he  was  vastly  prosperous  —  as  he  was  sure  to  be 
—  he  would  go  to  David  and  restore  the  money,  with  in 
terest;  whereupon  the  grateful  young  man  would  fall 
upon  his  neck  and  rejoice.  He  needed  the  money. 
David  did  not  need  it. 

What  would  his  wife  say  if  she  came  to  know  of  this? 
What  would  Christine  think  of  him?  They  were  harsh 
questions  and  they  troubled  him.  But  above  these 
questions  throbbed  a  still  greater  one  —  the  one  that 
made  his  body  damp  with  fear:  was  the  money  still  in 
the  boy's  pocket,  or  was  he  carrying  it  with  him  in  the 
ring? 

Of  one  thing  he  was  sure:  David  trusted  to  the  in 
tegrity  of  his  fellow  performers.  As  for  that,  so  did 
Thomas  Braddock.  In  all  his  experience  with  circus 
performers  he  had  never  known  one  of  them  to  steal; 
somewhat  irrelevantly  he  reminded  himself  that  circus 
women  were  notably  chaste.  No;  David's  money  was 
quite  safe  in  that  dressing-tent. 

Two  full  minutes  passed  before  he  could  whip  the 
conscience  into  submission.  It  was,  as  it  afterwards 
turned  out  to  be,  the  last  stand  of  the  thing  called  honor 
as  it  applied  to  whiskey-soaked  Tom  Braddock.  Then 
he  shot  forward  across  the  black  shadows  to  the  side 
pole  he  had  been  glaring  at  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
Through  the  lacings  in  the  sidewall  he  saw  that  the 
section  was  empty. 

When  David  put  his  hand  inside  the  lining  of  his 
waistcoat  an  hour  later,  he  turned  pale  and  his  eyes 
narrowed  with  suspicion.  For  an  instant  he  permitted 
them  to  sweep  the  laughing,  unconscious  group  of  men 
surrounding  him. 

11 


162  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Joey,"  he  said  a  moment  later,  taking  the  clown 
aside,  "  my  pocketbook  is  gone." 

"  Wot!  "  gasped  Joey.     "  'Ave  you  lost  it?  " 

"  It  has  been  stolen." 

Joey's  face  grew  very  sober.  "  Don't  say  that, 
Jacky.  It  was  in  your  ves'cut  —  as  usual?  " 

"  Yes.     The  lining  is  slashed  with  a  knife." 

"  Jacky,  are  you  sure?  "  almost  groaned  the  clown. 
"  Why  —  why,  there  ain't  nobody  'ere  as  would  steal 
a,  pin.  No,  sir,  not  one  of  —  " 

"  I  know  that,  Joey,"  said  David.  He  was  very  white 
and  his  eyes  were  heavy  with  pain.  "  I  know  who  stole 
it." 

Grinaldi  looked  up  sharply.  Something  darted  into 
his  mind  like  a  flash  of  lightning. 

"  You  —  you  don't  mean  —  " 

"  I  won't  say  the  name.  And  you  must  n't  say  it 
either,  Joey.  But  I  am  as  sure  of  it  as  I  am  sure  my 
heart  beats.  Casey  said  he  —  the  man  came  in  here  for 
half  an  hour  —  I  can't  believe  he  is  a  thief !  Joey, 
they  must  never  know.  We  must  not  mention  this  thing 
to  any  one.  I  don't  mind  the  money.  It  is  nothing  —  " 

Joey  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead. 

"  Right- — o !  Not  a  blooming  word.  I  see  your 
meaning.  By  Gripes,  he  's  sinking  pretty  low.  But," 
hopefully,  "  mebby  he  did  n't  do  it." 

"I  hope  he  didn't,  but  —  "  The  boy  shuddered. 
"  Joey,  I  passed  him  as  I  came  from  the  ring  awhile 
ago.  He  was  leaning  against  a  quarter  pole.  The  look 
he  gave  me  was  so  queer,  so  ferocious,  that  I  turned 
away ;  I  could  n't  understand  it.  But  I  do  now,  Joey. 
It 's  as  clear  as  day  to  me.  He  had  discovered  that 
instead  of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  there  were  but 
six  ten-dollar  notes  in  that  pocketbook.  Do  you  under 
stand  ?  He  was  black  with  rage  and  disappointment  —  " 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  163 

"  I  see !  Well,  blow  me,  I  —  I  —  "  Here  Joey  began 
to  chuckle.  "  He  's  wondering  where  the  balance  of  it 
is.  He  was  trying  to  look  through  your  shirt,  Jacky. 
He  —  " 

"  Do  you  remember  that  he  followed  us  in  here  and 
•watched  us  change  clothes?  Well,  I  noticed  that  he 
never  took  his  eyes  off  me.  He  was  watching  to  see  if 
I  had  anything  hidden  about  me  —  a  belt,  a  package, 
or  —  anything.  Joey,  it 's  as  plain  as  day." 

"And  he  did  kick  that  little  property  boy  a  minute 
ago.  I  remember  that.  He  is  mad!  He's  crazy  mad. 
Jacky,  we  've  got  to  keep  our  eyes  peeled,  you  and  me 
• —  and  another  pusson,  too.  We  got  to  stand  by  to 
night  to  protect  'er.  He  probably  thinks  that  pusson 
can  tell  'im  where  it  is." 

But  Thomas  Braddock  was  not  thinking  of  his  wife 
in  connection  with  the  disappointment  that  had  come 
to  him  in  that  last  hour  of  degradation.  He  was 
thinking  of  Colonel  Bob  Grand  and  wondering  what 
magic  influence  he  had  exercised  over  the  boy  to  compel 
him  to  deliver  so  much  money  into  his  hands.  Down  in 
the  darkest  corner  of  his  soul  he  was  cursing  Bob  Grand 
for  a  scheming  thief,  and  David  Jenison  for  a  hopeless 
imbecile. 

Before  the  wagons  were  well  under  way  for  the  next 
stand  he  was  dead  drunk  in  the  alley  back  of  the  hotel 
bar,  having  first  thrashed  a  porter  who  undertook  to 
eject  him  from  the  place. 

Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  waited  for  him  at  the 
lot  until  the  men  began  to  pull  down  the  dressing-tent. 
David  was  with  them.  Not  far  away  was  Joey  Noakes, 
the  center  of  a  group  of  performers,  held  together  by 
his  wonderful  tale  concerning  the  sensational  bit  of 
pocketpicking  that  had  occurred  early  in  the  evening. 
A  congressman  had  been  "  touched  "  for  his  purse  and 


164  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

three  hundred  dollars  while  waiting  for  a  train  at  the 
depot.  The  town  was  wild  over  the  theft. 

In  the  midst  of  the  narrative,  Artful  Dick  sauntered 
up  to  the  group,  coming,  it  seemed,  from  nowhere.  The 
gossiper  abruptly  stopped  his  tale. 

"  They  say  it 's  going  to  rain  before  morning,"  said 
Dick  airily.  "  You  guys  will  get  rust  on  your  joints 
if  you  stay  out  in  it.  Ta-ta !  I  'm  looking  for  my 
brother.  Seen  him?" 

He  strolled  on,  as  if  he  owned  the  earth. 

"  That  feller  '11  be  as  rich  as  the  devil  some  day,  if 
he  keeps  on,"  said  one  of  the  group. 

That  was  the  mild  form  of  opprobrium  that  followed 
Artful  Dick  into  the  shadows.  As  he  passed  by  the 
Braddocks*  and  David,  he  doffed  his  derby  gallantly. 
To  this  knowing  chap  there  was  something  significant 
in  the  dreary,  half-hearted  smile  that  the  mother  and 
daughter  gave  him.  At  any  rate,  he  took  a  second  look 
at  them  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye. 

"  Brad  's  up  to  something,"  he  thought. 

The  smile  he  bestowed  upon  Ruby  Noakes,  who  stood 
near  by  with  several  of  the  women,  was  all-enveloping. 
Ruby's  dark  eyes  looked  after  him  until  his  long,  j  aunty 
figure  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

"  Too  bad  he  's  a  thie  —  what  he  is,"  ventured  the 
Iron-jawed  Woman  pityingly.  She  addressed  the  re 
flection  to  Ruby,  who  started  and  then  positively  glared 
at  the  speaker. 

David  escorted  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  to  the 
hotel,  where  he  also  was  to  "  put  up  "  under  the  new 
dispensation.  They  had  but  little  to  say  to  each  other. 
A  deep  sense  of  restraint  had  fallen  upon  them.  He 
understood  and  appreciated  their  lack  of  interest  in 
anything  but  their  own  unexpressed  thoughts.  As  for 
himself,  he  was  sick  at  heart  over  the  discovery  he  had 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  165 

made.  Not  for  all  the  world  would  he  have  added  to 
their  unhappiness  by  voicing  the  thoughts  that  were 
uppermost  in  his  mind,  rioting  there  with  an  insistent 
clamor  that  almost  deafened  him. 

Christine's  father  was  a  thief! 

From  time  to  time,  as  they  walked  down  the  dark,  still 
street,  he  glanced  at  her  face,  half  fearing  that  his 
thoughts  might  have  reached  her  by  means  of  some 
mysterious  telepathic  agency.  Even  in  the  shadows  her 
face  was  adorable.  He  could  not  see  her  dark  eyes,  but 
he  knew  they  were  troubled  and  afraid.  He  would  have 
given  worlds  to  have  taken  her  in  his  arms,  then  and 
there,  to  pour  into  her  little  sore  heart  all  the  comfort 
of  his  new-found  adoration. 

For  days  it  had  been  growing  upon  him,  this  deli 
cious  realization  of  what  she  had  come  to  stand  for  in 
his  life.  She  had  crept  into  his  heart  and  he  was  glad. 
Innate  gallantry  and  a  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things  had 
kept  him  from  uttering  one  word  of  love  to  this  young, 
trusting,  unconscious  girl.  He  was  very  young  —  stu 
pidly  young,  he  felt  —  but  he  was  old  enough  to  know 
that  she  would  not  understand.  He  was  content  to  wait, 
content  to  watch.  The  time  would  come  when  he  could 
tell  her  of  the  love  that  was  in  his  heart ;  but  it  was  not 
to  be  thought  of  now. 

He  walked  between  them,  carrying  Mrs.  Braddock's 
handbag.  Christine  refused  to  burden  him  with  hers. 
As  they  neared  the  business  section  of  the  town  —  one 
of  the  Ohio  River  towns  —  they  encountered  drunken 
men  and  merry-makers.  A  particularly  noisy  but  ami 
able  group  approached  them  from  the  opposite  direc 
tion.  Christine  nervously  clutched  David's  arm.  She 
came  very  close  to  him.  He  was  thrilled  by  the  con 
tact.  After  the  revelers  had  lurched  by  them,  she  gave 
an  odd  little  laugh  and  would  have  removed  her  hand. 


166  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  pressed  his  arm  close  to  his  side,  imprisoning  it. 
She  looked  up  quickly,  a  sharp  catch  in  her  breath. 
Then  she  allowed  her  hand  to  rest  there  passively. 

They  were  nearing  the  hotel  when  David  impulsively 
gave  utterance  to  the  hungry  cry  that  was  struggling 
in  his  throat: 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Braddock,  if  I  were  free  to  go  back  to 
Jenison  Hall!  I  could  ask  you  and  Christine  to  come 
there  and  stay.  You  'd  love  it  there.  It 's  the  finest 
old  place  in  —  " 

"  Why,  David !  "  cried  Mrs.  Braddock  in  surprise. 

"  Forgive  me !  "  he  cried  ab j  ectly . 

"  Oh,  I  should  love  it  —  I  should  love  it,  David," 
cried  Christine  in  a  low,  wistful  voice.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  there  was  a  strange,  mysterious  wail  at  the 
back  of  the  words. 

Mrs.  Braddock  uttered  a  short,  bitter  laugh.  "  How 
good  you  are,  David.  What  would  your  friends  think 
if  you  took  circus  people  there  to  visit  you  ?  " 

He  replied  with  grave  dignity.  "  My  friends,  Mrs. 
Braddock,  include  the  circus  people  you  mention.  I 
am  not  likely  to  forget  that  you  took  me  in  and  —  " 

"  And  made  a  clown  of  you,"  she  interrupted.  He 
was  gratified  to  see  a  smile  on  her  lips.  The  light  from 
a  window  shone  in  her  face.  Her  eyes  were  wet  and 
glistening. 

He  held  his  tongue  for  a  moment,  wavering  between 
impulse  and  delicacy.  His  gaze  went  to  Christine's 
half-averted  face.  He  was  moved  by  sudden  apprehen 
sion.  Was  she  beginning  to  suspect  the  real  attitude 
of  Colonel  Bob  Grand  toward  her  mother?  Was  it 
something  more  than  mere  antipathy  that  filled  her 
heart  ? 

"  See  here,  Mrs.  Braddock,"  he  began  hastily,  "  I  'm 
right  young  to  be  saying  this  to  you,  but  I  want  you 


A    THIEF    IN    THE    NIGHT  167 

to  know  that  I  am  terribly  distressed  by  what  has  taken 
place  in  —  in  your  life.  I  know  you  hate  Colonel 
Grand.  I  know  he  is  a  bad  man.  His  new  interest  in 
this  show  is  the  outgrowth  of  an  old  one." 

She  started.     Her  eyes  were  full  upon  h:~  face. 

"  You  are  not  likely  to  know  any  more  peace  or  hap 
piness  here.  Why  don't  you  give  it  up?  Why  don't 
you  leave  the  show  ?  Why  —  " 

"  David,"  she  said,  laying  her  hand  on  his  arm,  "  you 
don't  know  what  you  are  saying." 

"  You  could  go  back  to  your  father,"  he  went  on 
ruthlessly.  "  I  know  it  would  be  all  right.  He  would 
not  —  " 

She  interrupted  him  quickly. 

"  Who  has  been  talking  to  you  of  my  affairs  ?  " 

He  bit  his  lip.  "  Why,  I  —  well,  Joey  Grinaldi.  He 
is  your  best,  truest  friend.  He  told  me  all  —  " 

Christine  was  leaning  forward,  peering  past  him  at 
her  mother's  averted  face.  The  girl's  clutch  on  his  arm 
tightened  perceptibly. 

"  Mother,"  she  said  wonderingly,  "  what  does  he 
mean  ?  Is  n't  —  is  n't  your  father  dead  ?  What  is  it 
that  Joey  Noakes  has  told  you,  David?  " 

David  realized  and  was  dumb  with  a  sort  of  conster 
nation.  Mrs.  Braddock  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and 
then  said  to  him,  drear  despair  in  her  voice : 

"  Poor  David !  You  don't  know  what  you  have  done. 
No,  Christine,  my  father  is  not  dead.  Be  patient,  my 
darling;  I  will  tell  you  all  there  is  to  tell." 

"  To-night? "  half  whispered  Christine,  dropping 
David's  arm,  moved  by  the  horrid  fear  that  there  was 
some  dark  secret  in  her  life  which  was  to  put  a  barrier 
between  him  and  her  forever. 

"  Yes,  my  dear." 


CHAPTER    X 

LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART 

THE  circus  encountered  vile  weather  from  that  time  on. 
Day  after  day,  night  after  night,  during  the  last  two 
weeks  in  June,  there  was  rain,  with  raw  winds  that 
chilled  and  depressed  the  strollers.  The  route  of  the 
show  ran  through  the  Ohio  River  valley,  ordinarily  a 
profitable  territory  at  that  time  of  the  year.  July 
would  see  the  show  well  started  for  the  northern  circuit, 
where  the  floods  were  less  troublesome  and  the  weather 
bade  fair  to  turn  favorable.  So  bad  were  the  floods  in 
one  particular  region  that  the  concern  was  obliged  to 
cancel  dates  in  three  towns,  lying  idle  in  a  God-for 
saken  river-place  for  two  wretched  days  and  traveling 
as  if  pursued  by  devils  on  the  third.  The  horses,  over 
worked  and  half  starved,  obtained  a  much-needed  rest. 
Performers  and  employees  alike  grew  taciturn  and  ab 
sorbed  in  speculation  as  to  the  immediate  future.  No 
one  believed  that  the  show  could  continue  against  such 
distressing  odds.  At  no  performance  were  the  receipts 
half  adequate  to  the  requirements ;  each  day  saw  the 
enterprise  sink  deeper  into  a  mire  of  debt  from  which 
there  was  no  apparent  prospect  of  escape.  The  charac 
teristically  ebullient  spirits  of  the  performers  surren 
dered  at  last  to  the  superstitions  that  persistently  ob 
truded  themselves  upon  the  notice  of  individuals.  All 
manner  of  "  bad  luck  "  signs  cropped  out  to  sustain  this 
multitude  of  beliefs.  Every  one  was  resorting  to  his 
luck  stone  or  an  amulet.  Even  David  Jenison,  sen- 


LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         169 

sible  lad  that  he  was,  fell  under  the  spell  of  superstition. 
He  carried  a  "  luck  piece  "  given  him  by  Ruby  Noakes, 
and  not  once  but  many  times  was  he  guilty  of  calling 
upon  it  for  relief  from  the  general  misfortune. 

A  bloody  fight  on  the  circus  grounds  between  the 
showmen  and  an  organized  band  of  town  ruffians  came 
near  to  bringing  the  concern  to  a  disastrous  end.  The 
riot  happened  in  one  of  the  hill  towns  along  the  river, 
and  was  due  to  the  ugly  humor  of  the  unpaid  canvasmen 
and  the  roustabouts  who  went  searching  for  trouble  as 
an  outlet  for  their  feelings.  Guy  ropes  were  cut  by  an 
attacking  force  of  half-drunken  rowdies ;  the  canvases 
were  slashed  and  wagons  overturned.  The  oldtime  yell 
of  "  Hey,  Rube !  "  marshaled  the  circus  forces.  There 
was  a  battle  royal,  in  which  the  local  contingent  was 
badly  used  up,  more  than  one  man  being  seriously 
inj  ured. 

David  Jenison  fought  beside  his  fellow  performers, 
who  rallied  to  protect  the  dressing-tent  and  the  terri 
fied  women.  In  the  darkness  and  rain,  after  the  night 
performance,  the  opposing  forces  mingled  and  fought 
like  wild  beasts.  The  young  Virginian,  vigorous  as  a 
colt,  was  a  hero  among  his  comrades.  For  days  after 
wards,  every  one  talked  of  the  stubborn  stand  he  made 
at  the  rear  of  the  dressing-tent,  where  he  swung  a  stake 
with  savage  effectiveness  in  combat  with  half  a  dozen 
rioters  who  had  cut  the  ropes,  allowing  the  sidewalls  to 
drop  while  many  of  the  women  were  dressing. 

He  was  fighting  for  Christine  Braddock,  who  was 
waiting  in  the  tent  for  him,  instead  of  going  to  the 
hotel  with  her  mother  earlier  in  the  evening.  He  glori 
fied  himself  forever  in  the  eyes  of  the  terrified  girl;  he 
was  never  to  forget  the  soft,  tremulous  words  of  loving 
anxiety  she  used,  quite  unconsciously,  while  she  went 
about  the  task  of  bandaging  the  cuts  on  his  face  half 


170  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

an  hour  later  in  her  mother's  room,  where  many  of  their 
intimates  had  gathered  for  attention. 

"  We  must  find  Dick  Cronk  and  attend  to  his  wounds," 
protested  David,  addressing  the  others  who  were  there. 
"  He  came  to  my  assistance  before  any  one  else  arrived. 
I  think  he  dropped  from  the  sky." 

Ruby  Noakes  closed  her  eyes  suddenly  to  hide  the  tell 
tale  gleam  that  had  leaped  into  them.  She  knew  that 
Dick  Cronk  was  fighting  for  her,  and  her  alone. 

"I  saw  him  just  now,"  she  said  after  a  moment. 
"  He  did  n't  have  a  scratch  and  he  is  perfectly  mad 
with  joy  over  the  whole  thing." 

"  He  could  fall  out  of  a  balloon  and  not  even  get  a 
lump  on  his  head,  that  feller  could,"  grumbled  the 
contortionist,  who  had  two  very  black  eyes  and  several 
"  lumps." 

Braddock,  partially  sobered  by  the  serious  conse 
quences  likely  to  arise  from  the  riot,  spent  an  uncom 
fortable  day  in  the  town.  The  circus  manager  suc 
ceeded  in  half-way  convincing  the  authorities  that  his 
people  had  been  set  upon  and  were  in  no  way  responsible 
for  the  affray.  Threats  of  suit  against  the  town  for 
damages  had  the  desired  effect:  the  authorities  were 
eager  to  let  the  aggregation  depart. 

But  in  that  sanguinary  conflict  David  Jenison  had 
won  more  than  his  spurs ;  these  volatile,  impressionable 
people,  in  disdain  for  their  own  positions  in  life,  were 
saying,  "  Blood  will  tell."  Down  to  the  lowliest  menial 
the  sentiment  regarding  him  underwent  a  subtle  but 
noticeable  change.  He  was  no  longer  the  guileless 
outsider:  he  was  exalted  even  among  those  who  once 
had  scoffed. 

Anxiety,  worry  and  a  mighty  craving  for  exonera 
tion,  with  a  glorious  return  to  the  land  of  his  people, 
triumphant  in  his  innocence,  were  telling  on  the  proud, 


LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         171 

high-spirited  youth.  A  gauntness  settled  in  his  face; 
there  was  a  hungry,  wistful  look  in  his  eyes ;  his  ever- 
winning  smile  responded  less  readily  than  before; 
sharp  lines  began  to  reveal  themselves,  flanking  his  nos 
trils.  His  heart  was  bitter.  The  weeks  had  brought 
him  to  a  fuller  realization  of  the  horrid  blight  upon  his 
fair  name ;  he  had  come  to  see  the  wreck  in  all  its  cold, 
brutal  aspects.  The  realization  that  he  was  a  hunted, 
branded  thing,  with  a  price  on  his  head,  sank  deeper 
and  deeper  into  his  soul.  Hunted!  Chased  as  a  crim 
inal  !  He,  a  Jenison  of  Virginia ! 

Nor  was  he  permitted  at  any  time  to  feel  that  he  was 
safe  from  arrest.  Thomas  Braddock,  savagely  disap 
pointed  on  that  shameful  night,  made  life  miserable 
for  the  young  clown.  Only  a  sodden  hope  that  there 
was  still  a  chance  to  secure  the  treasure  kept  him  from 
actually  doing  bodily  harm  to  David,  to  such  an  extent 
that  he  might  be  forced  to  leave  the  show.  That  hope, 
and  the  ever-present  dread  of  the  still  absent  Colonel 
Grand,  moved  Braddock  to  tactics  so  ugly  that  a  con 
stant  watch  was  being  observed  by  those  who  sought 
to  shield  not  only  the  Virginian  but  the  man's  wife  and 
child. 

The  proprietor  was  sinking  lower  and  lower  in  the 
mire  of  dissoluteness.  There  was  no  longer  any  pre 
tense  of  sobriety.  He  drank  with  vicious  disregard  for 
the  common  aspects  of  decency.  He  was  ugly,  quarrel 
some,  resentful  of  any  effort  on  the  part  of  his  friends 
to  guide  him  out  of  the  slough  in  which  he  was  losing 
himself.  More  than  one  kindly  disposed  person  had 
been  knocked  down  for  his  "  interference,"  as  Brad- 
dock  called  it.  David  Jenison  shrank  from  contact 
with  him,  revolting  against  the  language  he  used,  de 
spising  him  for  the  threats  he  held  over  him,  distressed 
by  the  snarling  requests  for  money.  No  day  passed 


172  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

that  did  not  bring  to  David  an  almost  irresistible  im 
pulse  to  escape  this  loathsome  man  by  deserting  the 
show.  A  single  magnet  held  him :  Christine.  He  en 
dured  torment  and  obloquy  that  he  might  always  be 
there  to  defend  her  and  the  sad-eyed,  broken  woman  who 
had  defended  him. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  the  plight  of  these  loved  ones 
he  might  have  persuaded  himself  to  go  back  to  Virginia 
and  give  himself  up  for  trial.  Time  had  encouraged 
him  in  the  belief  that  his  innocence  would  prevail.  He 
had  talked  it  over  with  Joey  and  Dick  Cronk.  Both 
of  them  had  advised  him  to  stand  to  his  original  deter 
mination  to  find  Isaac  Perry  before  putting  himself  in 
jeopardy. 

Colonel  Grand's  prolonged  absence  was  the  cause  of 
much  speculation  and  uneasiness.  The  entire  company 
lived  in  dread  of  his  return,  yet  each  individual  was 
eager  to  have  it  over  with.  No  man  liked  the  new  part 
ner  ;  every  one  knew  where  his  real  interest  lay.  Thomas 
Braddock  cursed  him  in  secret  for  remaining  away  while 
the  show  was  tottering  on  its  last  legs.  Mrs.  Braddock 
never  spoke  of  the  man,  but  it  was  not  difficult  to  inter 
pret  the  anxious,  daunted  expression  in  her  eyes  as, 
day  after  day,  she  appeared  at  the  tent;  nor  was  the 
temporary  gleam  of  relief  less  plain  when  she  convinced 
herself  that  he  was  not  on  the  grounds. 

There  was  method  in  Colonel  Grand's  aloofness.  He 
held  off  resolutely,  with  almost  satanic  cruelty,  while 
Thomas  Braddock  and  the  weather  brought  the  show 
to  the  last  stages  of  desperation.  At  the  psychological 
moment  he  would  present  himself  and  exact  his  pound 
of  flesh. 

Christine's  attitude  toward  her  father  changed  for 
ever  on  the  night  of  David's  luckless  appeal.  She  had 
the  whole  story  of  her  mother's  life  before  she  went  to 


LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         173 

bed  that  night.  From  that  unhappy  hour  of  truth  she 
gave  all  of  her  love  to  the  abused  gentlewoman  whose 
willfulness  and  folly  had  resulted  in  her  own  appearance 
in  the  world.  The  knowledge  that  David  knew  the  story, 
with  all  others,  at  first  raised  a  sombre  barrier  be 
tween  them,  which  was  broken  down  by  the  young  man's 
tender  consideration  and  devotion. 

She  was  no  longer  the  gay,  sprightly  creature  he 
had  known  at  first.  Now  she  lived  well  within  herself, 
a  curb  on  her  spirits  that  seldom  relaxed  except  when 
she  was  happily  alone  with  her  mother  and  David. 
Then  she  breathed  freely  and  cast  off  the  weight  that 
oppressed  her. 

There  was  no  mistaking  David's  attitude  toward  this 
dainty,  bewitching  comrade  of  those  troublous,  trying 
days.  The  whole  company  saw,  approved,  and  was 
delighted. 

Joey  alone  spoke  to  him  of  what  was  in  the  minds 
of  all.  "  Jacky,"  he  said  one  blustering  evening,  "  I 
see  how  it  is  with  you  now;  but  is  it  going  to  endure? 
Don't  blush,  my  lad,  and  don't  flare  up.  We  all  know 
you  're  terrible  took  with  'er.  It 's  nothink  to  be 
ashamed  of.  Wot  I  'm  going  to  say  is  this.  She  's  a 
puffect  child  yet  and  you  are  still  a  schoolboy.  Are 
you  going  to  be  man  enough  when  you  gets  older  and 
more  mature-like  to  stick  by  this  'ere  puppy  love  that 
means  so  much  to  'er  now?  Are  you  going  to  love 
'er  allus,  just  as  I  dessay  you'll  find  she  will  do  by 
you?" 

"  But  —  but  Joey,"  stammered  David  in  confusion 
—  "  she  does  n't  care  for  me  in  that  way." 

Joey  closed  one  eye  and  puffed  thrice  at  his  pipe. 

"  Jacky,  it 's  not  to  your  credit  as  a  gentleman  to  be 
so  blooming  stupid." 

"  She  's  so  very  young,"  murmured  David. 


174  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Well,  love  grows  up,  my  lad,  just  the  same  as  folks 
does,"  said  the  old  clown  wisely. 

"  If  —  if  I  thought  she  'd  love  me  when  she 's  old 
enough  to  —  "  began  David,  his  eyes  gleaming. 

He  stopped  there,  confused  and  awkward. 

Joey  eyed  him.  "  You  mean  by  that,  that  you  'd  go 
so  far  as  to  marry  'er?  " 

David  flushed.  Then  his  eyes  flashed  with  resent 
ment:  "  See  here,  Joey,  that 's  not  the  way  to  speak  of 
her.  She 's  a  lady.  She 's  not  a  — "  He  checked 
himself  suddenly. 

"  Virginians  are  very  'igh  and  mighty  pussons,  I  've 
been  told,"  said  Joey,  leading  him  on  with  considerable 
adroitness. 

"  Perhaps  you  have  also  been  told  that  we  require 
no  lessons  in  chivalry,"  announced  David,  somewhat 
pompously. 

Joey  chuckled  softly.  "  Don't  get  'uffy,  Jacky. 
Let 's  get  back  to  the  fust  subject.  'Ow  is  it  going  to 
be  with  you  two  when  you  've  really  growed  up  ?  You  're 
a  couple  of  babes  in  the  woods  just  now." 

David  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Then  he  faced  the 
old  clown  proudly.  "  She  's  perfect,  Joey ;  she  's  won 
derful.  I  expect  to  love  her  always.  When  she  's  old 
enough,  I  am  going  to  ask  her  to  be  my  wife." 

"  Provided  you  escape  the  gallows,"  remarked  Joey 
sententiously. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy,  setting  his  jaw,  but  turning  very 
white.  "  But  she  knows  I  am  innocent.  Even  though 
I  should  always  live  under  this  shadow,  and  under  an 
other  name,  I  would  not  feel  that  I  was  doing  her  a 
wrong  in  asking  her  to  share  my  lot  with  me.  Nothing 
could  be  worse  than  what  she  has  to  bear  now.  But, 
Joey,"  he  concluded  firmly,  "  I  am  going  to  clear  my 
name,  as  sure  as  I  live." 


LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         175 

The  old  clown  nodded  his  head,  eyed  his  protege  fur 
tively  and  lovingly,  and  lapsed  into  silence.  For  a  long 
time  neither  spoke.  It  was  David  who  broke  the  strain. 

"  Joey,  I  wonder  if  you  know  how  much  Dick  Cronk 
loves  Ruby  ?  "  He  put  the  question  tentatively. 

"  I  do,"  responded  Joey  promptly.  "  He  loves  her 
so  much  and  so  honestly  that  he  won't  tell  'er  about  it." 

"  I  feel  very  sorry  for  him." 

"  So  do  I.  He  's  often  told  me  that  he 's  mad  in 
love  with  'er.  But  he  says  she  can't  haf  —  afford  to 
'ave  anything  to  do  with  a  pickpocket.  He  says  it 
would  n't  be  right.  So  he  's  just  going  on  loving  'er 
and  saying  nothink.  That 's  the  way  it  '11  be  to  the 
end." 

"And  Ruby?" 

"  Well,  she  knows  'ow  it  is  with  'im.  I  daresay  that 's 
why  she  's  allus  trying  to  get  'im  to  give  up  wot  he  's 
doing  now  and  go  out  West  where  he  could  begin  all 
over  again." 

"  If  he  did  that,  would  you  let  her  —  " 

"  That 's  the  question,  my  lad,"  interrupted  Joey 
very  soberly.  "  I  don't  think  I  could  let  'er  marry  a 
chap  as  'ad  been  a  thief.  I  —  I,  well,  you  see,  Jacky, 
I  want  my  gal  to  marry  a  gentleman." 

His  lip  twitched  and  he  fell  to  studying  the  ground. 
David  did  not  smile.  He  looked  away,  for  he  under 
stood  the  longing  that  was  in  the  heart  of  this  lowly- 
born  jester  who  did  not  even  pretend  to  be  a  gentleman. 

"  No,"  said  Joey  after  a  long  time,  "  he  won't  even 
ask  'er.  'Ow  can  he,  feeling  as  he  does  about  hisself? 
You  see,  he  says  he  's  going  to  be  'anged  some  day 
afore  he  gets  through.  He  's  that  positive  about  it 
I  can't  talk  'im  out  of  the  idee.  He  says  it  won't  do 
no  good  to  reform  if  he  's  sure  to  be  'ung  in  the  end. 
He  says  it 's  destiny,  wotever  that  is." 


176  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  got  up  and  strolled  away,  saying  it  was  time  to 
dress  for  the  performance,  adding  lugubriously  that 
there  'd  be  more  people  in  the  band-stand  than  there  'd 
be  in  the  "  blues." 

When  the  night's  performance  was  over,  Thomas 
Braddock  came  back  to  announce  to  the  performers 
that  they  w«uld  have  to  travel  by  wagon  from  that  time 
on,  unless  they  chose  to  pay  their  own  railroad  fare. 

"  What 's  good  enough  for  me  and  my  wife  and 
daughter  is  good  enough  for  the  rest  of  you,  I  reckon," 
he  said.  "  We  travel  by  wagon  to-night.  Mary,  you 
and  Christie  take  the  car  of  Juggernaut.  You  can 
take  anybody  else  in  with  you  that  you  like.  I  've  no 
ticed  you  don't  want  me  around  any  more.  Maybe 
you  '11  take  this  Jacky  boy  in  with  you." 

He  left  the  tent,  laughing  boisterously. 

"  Now  is  the  time  for  me  to  use  some  of  my  money," 
said  David,  hastening  to  Mrs.  Braddock's  side.  "  I  '11 
get  back  what  Joey  and  Casey  have.  You  shall  not 
travel  in  those  wagons.  I  protest  against  it.  The  rest 
of  the  performers  have  some  of  their  wages  left.  They 
can  tide  over  these  bad  times.  But  you  have  nothing. 
You  are  at  his  mercy.  Don't  say  no,  Mrs.  Braddock. 
I  mean  to  do  it." 

He  had  his  way.  Joey  and  Casey  and  Ruby  produced, 
between  them,  nearly  four  hundred  of  his  precious  dol 
lars.  TJie  generous  boy  promptly  put  the  entire 
amount  in  Mrs.  Braddock's  hands. 

"  It  is  a  loan,"  she  murmured. 

"  Certainly,"  he  said  gravely. 

"  Ruby,  you  will  go  with  us,"  she  went  on.  "  My 
husband  must  be  made  to  understand  that  we  are  to 
thank  you  and  Joey  for  this  bit  of  luxury." 

Joey  Grinaldi  sought  out  Braddock  and  told  him 
of  his  determination  to  share  his  little  store  of  savings 


LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         177 

with  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine.  There  was  a  scene, 
but  the  clown  stood  his  ground. 

"  I  suppose  I  can  sleep  in  the  gutter,"  raved 
Braddock. 

"  I  don't  give  a  'ang  where  you  sleep,  Tom  Brad- 
dock,"  shouted  Joey,  angry  for  the  first  time  in  years. 

"  Where  's  that  Snipe  kid?  "  demanded  the  other. 

"  He  's  to  stay  with  me,"  announced  Joey. 

"  The  damned  little  sneak,  he  could  save  us  a  lot  of 
trouble  if  he  'd  thaw  out  and  hand  over  some  of  the 
money  he 's  hiding.  I  'm  going  to  have  it  out  with 
him.  He  can't  stay  on  here  and  let  —  " 

"  I  would  n't  talk  so  much,  Brad.  Better  keep  a  close 
tongue  in  that  'ead  of  yours,"  said  the  clown  meaningly. 
Braddock  looked  at  him  in  sudden  apprehension.  He 
began  to  wonder  what  the  old  clown  suspected. 

He  changed  his  tactics.  "  If  Dick  Cronk  was  only 
here,  I  could  borrow  enough  from  him  to  get  a  place 
to  sleep,"  he  growled  petulantly.  "  But,  curse  him, 
he  has  n't  been  near  us  since  that  j  ob  in  Granville,  ten 
days  ago." 

When  Joey  left  him  he  was  cursing  everything  and 
everybody.  On  the  way  to  the  hotel  Christine  and 
David  walked  together.  She  clung  very  tightly  to  his 
arm.  Leaving  the  grounds,  she  had  whispered  in  his 
ear: 

"  David,  I  adore  you  —  I  j  ust  adore  you." 

"  I  'd  die  for  you,  Christine.  That 's  how  I  feel 
toward  you,"  he  responded  passionately. 

A  sweet  shyness  fell  upon  her.  The  chrysalis  of  girl 
ish  ignorance  was  dropping  away;  she  was  being  ex 
posed  to  herself  in  a  new  and  glowing  form.  Something 
sweet  and  strange  and  grateful  flashed  hot  in  her  blood  ; 
the  glow  of  it  amazed  and  bewildered  her. 

"  Oh,  David,"  she  murmured  timorously. 


178  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  My  little  Christine,"  he  breathed,  laying  his  hand 
upon  hers.  She  sighed;  her  red  lips  parted  in  the  soft, 
luxurious  ecstasy  of  discovery ;  she  breathed  of  a  curi 
ously  light  and  buoyant  atmosphere;  she  was  walking 
on  air.  Little  bells  tinkled  softly,  but  she  knew  not 
whence  came  the  mysterious  sound. 

An  amazing  contentment  came  over  them.  They 
were  very  young,  and  the  malady  that  had  revealed 
itself  so  painlessly  was  an  old  one  —  as  old  as  the  world 
itself.  Their  hearts  sang,  but  their  lips  were  mute; 
they  were  drunk  with  wonder. 

They  lagged  behind.  Far  ahead  hurried  the  others, 
driven  to  haste  by  low  rumbles  of  thunder  and  the 
warning  splashes  of  raindrops.  The  drizzle  of  the  gray, 
lowering  afternoon  had  ceased,  but  in  its  place  came 
ominous  skies  and  crooning  winds.  Back  on  the  circus 
lot  men  were  working  frantically  to  complete  the  task 
of  loading  before  the  storm  broke  over  them.  Every 
where  people  were  scurrying  to  shelter.  David  and 
Christine  loitered  on  the  way,  with  delicious  disdain  for 
all  the  things  of  earth  or  sky. 

A  vivid  flash  of  lightning,  followed  by  a  deafening 
roar  of  thunder  in  the  angry  sky,  brought  them  back 
to  earth.  The  raindrops  began  to  beat  against  their 
faces.  Sharp,  hysterical  laughter  rose  to  their  lips, 
and  they  set  out  on  a  run  for  the  still  distant  hotel. 
The  deluge  came  just  as  they  reached  the  shelter  of  a 
friendly  awning  in  front  of  a  grocery  store.  The  wide, 
old-fashioned  covering  afforded  safe  retreat.  Panting, 
they  drew  up  and  ensconced  themselves  as  far  back  as 
possible  in  the  doorway. 

She  was  not  afraid  of  the  storm.  Life  with  the  circus 
had  made  her  quite  impervious  to  the  crash  of  thunder ; 
the  philosophy  of  Vagabondia  had  taught  her  that  light 
ning  is  not  dangerous  unless  it  strikes.  The  circus  man 


LOVE   WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         179 

is  a  fatalist.  A  person  dies  when  his  time  comes,  not 
before.  It  is  all  marked  down  for  him. 

Of  the  two,  David  was  certainly  the  more  nervous. 
His  arm  was  about  her  shoulders ;  her  firm,  slender 
body  was  drawn  close  to  his.  His  clasp  tightened  as  the 
timidity  of  inexperience  gave  way  to  confidence;  an 
amazing  sense  of  conquest,  of  possession  took  hold  of 
him.  He  could  have  shouted  defiance  to  the  storm.  He 
held  her !  This  beautiful,  warm,  alive  creature  belonged 
to  him! 

"Are  you  afraid,  —  dearest?"  he  called,  his  lips 
close  to  her  ear. 

"  Not  a  bit,  David,"  she  cried  rapturously.  "  I  love 
it.  Is  n't  it  wonderful?  " 

She  turned  her  head  on  his  shoulder.  His  lips  swept 
her  cheek.  Before  either  of  them  knew  what  had  hap 
pened  their  lips  met  —  a  frightened,  hasty,  timorous 
kiss  that  was  not  even  prophetic  of  the  joys  that  were 
to  grow  out  of  it. 

"  Oh,  David,  you  must  not  do  that ! "  cried  the  very 
maiden  in  her. 

"  Has  any  one  ever  kissed  you  before?  "  he  demanded, 
fiercely  jealous  on  a  sudden. 

She  drew  back,  hurt,  aghast. 

"  Why,  David !  "  she  cried. 

He  mumbled  an  apology. 

"  Christine,"  he  announced  resolutely,  "  I  am  going 
to  marry  you  when  you  are  old  enough." 

She  gasped.  "  But,  David  —  "  she  began,  tremulous 
with  doubt  and  perplexity. 

"  I  know,"  he  said  as  she  hesitated ;  "  you  are  afraid 
I  '11  not  be  cleared  of  this  charge.  But  I  am  sure  to 
be  —  as  sure  as  there  is  a  God.  Then,  when  you  are 
nineteen  or  twenty,  I  mean  to  ask  you  to  be  my  wife. 
You  are  my  sweetheart  now  —  oh,  my  dearest  sweet- 


180  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

heart!  Christine,  you  won't  let  any  one  else  come  in 
and  take  my  place?  You  '11  be  just  as  you  are  now 
until  we  are  older  and  —  " 

"  Wait,  David !  Let  me  think.  I  —  I  could  be  your 
wife,  could  n't  I?  I  am  a  Portman.  I  am  good  enough 
to  —  to  be  what  you  want  me  to  be,  am  I  not,  David  ? 
You  understand,  don't  you?  Mother  says  I  am  a 
Portman.  I  am  not  common  and  vulgar,  am  I, 
David?  I—" 

"  I  could  n't  love  you  if  you  were  that,  Christine. 
You  are  fit  to  be  the  wife  of  a  —  a  king,"  he  concluded 
eagerly. 

"  I  have  learned  so  much  from  you,"  she  said,  so 
softly  he  could  barely  hear  the  words. 

"  It 's  the  other  way  round.  You  've  taught  me  a 
thousand  times  more  than  you  ever  could  learn  from 
me,"  he  protested.  "  I  'm  nobody.  I  've  never  seen 
anything  of  life." 

"  You  are  the  most  wonderful  person  in  all  this  world 

—  not    even    excepting    the    princes    in    the    Arabian 
Nights." 

"  I  'm  only  a  boy,"  he  said. 

"  I  would  n't  love  you  if  you  were  a  man,"  she  an 
nounced  promptly.  "  David,  I  must  tell  mother  that 

—  that   you   have   kissed   me.      You   won't  mind,   will 
you?" 

"  We  '11  tell  her  together,"  he  said  readily. 

"  We  —  perhaps  we  'd  better  not  tell  father,"  she 
said  with  an  effort. 

The  words  had  scarcely  left  her  lips  when  a  startling 
interruption  came.  A  heavy  body  dropped  from  above, 
landing  in  the  middle  of  the  sidewalk  not  more  than  six 
feet  from  the  doorway.  Vivid  flashes  of  lightning  re 
vealed  to  the  couple  the  figure  of  a  man  standing  up 
right  before  them,  but  looking  in  quite  another  direction. 


LOVE    WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         181 

Christine's  sharp  little  cry  came  as  the  first  flash 
died  away,  but  another  followed  in  a  second's  time. 
The  man  was  now  facing  the  doorway,  his  body  bent 
forward,  his  white  face  gleaming  in  the  unnatural  light. 
David  had  withdrawn  his  arms  from  about  Christine 
and  had  planted  himself  in  front  of  her.  Pitchy  dark 
ness  returned  in  the  fraction  of  a  second. 

Distinctly  they  heard  a  laugh.  Then  out  of  the 
clatter  and  swish  of  driven  water  came  the  cheerful  cry : 

"  Hello,  Jack  Snipe !  " 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  called  out  David. 

"  Ha !  Who  goes  there,  you  mean.  Always  use  the 
correct  question,  kid.  How  can  I  give  the  secret  pass 
word  unless  you  put  it  up  to  me  right  ?  Oh,  I  say !  I 
did  n't  see  you,  Miss  Christine.  Geminy !  Ain't  this  a 
pelter?" 

"Why,  it's  Dick,"  cried  David.  "Where  in  the 
world  did  you  drop  from?  The  sky?  " 

The  pickpocket  laughed  gleefully. 

"Did  I  scare  you?  I  guess  it  must  have  surprised 
you,  me  popping  in  here  like  a  Punch  and  Judy  figure, 
eh?  You  kind  o'  surprised  me,  too,  I'll  say  that  for 
you.  Gee  whiz,  I  did  n't  know  anybody  was  here.  Say, 
do  you  mind  if  I  get  back  in  there  out  o'  the  wind  to 
light  my  pipe?  I  'm  perishin'  for  a  smoke." 

They  drew  back  into  the  corner,  and  the  jovial  rascal 
proceeded  to  strike  match  after  match  in  the  futile 
attempt  to  light  his  pipe,  all  the  while  standing  directly 
in  front  of  David  and  facing  the  street  instead  of  sensibly 
turning  his  back  toward  it.  With  the  flare  of  each 
match  his  face  was  illuminated  briefly  but  clearly. 

A  more  experienced  observer  than  David  would  have 
grasped  the  significance  of  these  maneuvers.  But  how 
was  he  to  know  that  Ernie  Cronk  had  been  crouching 
in  a  sheltered  doorway  across  the  street,  standing  guard 


182  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

while  his  artful  brother  entered  and  ransacked  the  store 
whose  awning  now  afforded  him  a  comfortable  refuge? 
And  how  was  he  to  know  that  Ernie  had  glared  out 
upon  their  tender  love  scene  with  eyes  in  which  there 
was  the  most  pitiable  jealousy,  the  most  implacable 
hatred?  Dick  Cronk,  however,  knew  that  his  brother 
was  over  there  and  that  he  must  have  seen  these  two 
together  in  the  flashes.  Moreover,  he  knew  that  Ernie 
had  been  carrying  a  small  derringer  ever  since  his  ex 
perience  with  the  hoodlums  earlier  in  the  season. 

That  is  why  he  stood  before  David  and  vainly  tried 
to  light  his  pipe. 

"  Why,  you  are  perfectly  dry,"  exclaimed  Christine, 
touching  his  coat  sleeve. 

"  Have  you  been  here  all  the  time?  "  demanded  David 
indignantly. 

"What  do  you  call  all  the  time?  I  was  here  before 
you  came,  if  that  '11  help  you  any.  But,"  he  hastened 
to  say,  "  I  reckon  I  went  away  before  you  dropped  in. 
Now  don't  ask  questions.  If  you  axes  no  questions 
I  '11  tell  you  no  lies." 

With  the  next  flash  of  lightning  he  cast  a  furtive 
glance  in  the  direction  of  the  show  window  to  their 
left.  The  heavy  shutter  was  still  open  and  banging 
noisily  against  the  casing.  A  particularly  brilliant 
flash  a  few  moments  later  revealed  to  this  sharp-eyed 
young  man  a  huddled,  black  thing  with  a  ghastly  patch 
of  white  that  he  knew  to  be  a  face,  in  the  doorway 
opposite. 

"  Where  have  you  been  for  the  past  ten  days,  Dick? 
We  've  missed  you.  I  've  asked  your  brother  time  and 
again  —  " 

"  Do  you  no  good  to  ask  Ernie,  Jack,"  said  the 
pickpocket  grimly.  "  He  ain't  his  brother's  keeper, 
remember  that.  I  've  been  taking  my  vacation,  that 's 


LOVE   WINGS    A    TIMID    DART         183 

all.  My  work  was  likely  to  become  too  confining,  so 
I  took  a  notion  for  a  change  of  air." 

A  curious  note  of  nervousness  sounded  in  his  voice. 
They  were  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he  was  peering 
up  and  down  the  drenched,  black  street  with  quick, 
apprehensive  eyes.  Far  below  there  was  a  lonely  street 
lamp ;  another  stood  quite  as  far  away  in  the  opposite 
direction. 

"  The  rain 's  lettin'  up  a  bit,  Jacky,"  he  said  in 
hurried  tones.  "  You  've  got  an  umbrell'.  Say,  if  I 
was  }~ou  and  Miss  Christine  I  'd  dig  out  for  the  hotel. 
It 's  only  a  block  and  a  half." 

"  We  '11  wait  a  few  minutes  —  " 

Dick  pressed  his  arm  instantly  and  said :  "  Better 
go  now,  kid;  better  dig." 

Christine's  sharper  wits  grasped  his  meaning.  The 
secret  of  his  sudden  appearance  was  revealed  to  her  in 
a  twinkling.  She  clutched  David's  arm  once  more. 

"  Yes,  come,  Dav  —  Jack.  I  don't  mind  the  rain. 
Mother  will  be  so  anxious." 

And  then  David  understood. 

"  Why,  Dick,  you  have  n't  been  in  —  " 

"  Sh !  You  '11  wake  the  guy  that  sleeps  up  there  and 
he  '11  throw  a  bucket  of  water  out  on  us  for  disturbin' 
him,"  said  the  other  with  quiet  sarcasm.  "  Besides, 
this  is  no  place  for  a  young  lady." 

"  You  're  right,"  cried  David  in  no  little  trepidation. 
"  Come,  Christine !  "  He  had  looked  uneasily  down  the 
street.  "  We  can't  stay  here.  If  some  one  should  hap 
pen  to  shout  from  the  windows  upstairs,  we  'd  be  mixed 
up  in  —  " 

"  Say,  Jack,"  said  Dick,  detaining  him  an  instant, 
"  come  to  Joey's  room  in  half  an  hour.  I  've  got 
something  important  to  tell  you.  Good-night,  Miss 
Christine.  Sleep  tight." 


184  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Do  be  careful,  Dick,"  she  cried  anxiously,  over  her 
shoulder. 

He  laughed  jerkily.  "  The  devil  takes  care  of  his 
deputies.  Look  to  yourself.  God  don't  always  take 
such  excellent  care  of  his  angels." 

David  and  Christine  hurried  off  down  the  street. 
They  looked  back  once  during  a  faint  glow  of  lightning* 
Dick  had  disappeared. 

While  they  were  explaining  their  plight  to  Mrs. 
Braddock  at  the  hotel  entrance,  Dick  Cronk  was  leading 
his  frenzied  brother  by  back  streets  to  the  railroad 
yards.  He  had  rushed  across  the  street  just  in  time  to 
restrain  Ernie  in  his  blind  rage.  The  hunchback,  sobbing 
with  jealousy,  had  started  out  to  follow  David,  his 
pistol  clutched  to  his  misshapen  breast. 

All  the  way  through  the  dark  streets  the  cripple  was 
moaning :  "  I  'd  have  shot  him  only  I  was  afraid  of 
hittin'  her.  I  could  n't  stand  it,  Dick.  He  's  got  her." 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,  Ernie,"  his  brother  kept  on  repeat 
ing,  greatly  disturbed.  "  He  '11  be  leaving  the  show 
before  long.  He  won't  stay  after  the  truth  comes  out 
about  that  murder.  Then  maybe  you  '11  —  " 

"  Oh,  she  '11  never  look  at  me !  Don't  lie  to  me.  I 
wish  I  'd  'a'  shot  when  I  had  the  chance." 

"  You  'd  ha'  got  me  in  a  nice  mess  by  doing  that. 
Ernie.  The  police  would  ha'  nabbed  me  coming  out  of 
the  store  and  they  'd  ha'  said  I  pinked  him." 

"  I  don't  care.  They  could  n't  ha'  proved  it  on  me," 
raged  the  hunchback  triumphantly.  "  I  '11  get  him 
some  time,  and  don't  you  forget  it.  Say,"  with  a  sud 
den  change  of  manner,  "  what  did  you  pick  up  in 
there?" 


CHAPTER    XI 

ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING 

HALF  an  hour  later,  Dick  Cronk  was  admitted  to  Joey 
Noakes'  room  at  the  Imperial  Hotel.  He  came  in 
jauntily,  care-free  and  amiable,  as  if  there  was  no  such 
thing  in  the  world  as  trouble. 

Jqey  and  Ruby  Noakes  and  the  faithful  Casey  were 
there.  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  had  just  gone  to 
their  room,  David  accompanying  them  down  the  hall 
for  a  private  word  with  the  mother. 

He  returned  a  few  minutes  after  Dick's  arrival,  his 
eyes  gleaming  with  a  light  they  had  never  seen  in  them 
before.  His  voice  trembled  with  an  exaltation  that 
would  have  betrayed  him  to  even  less  observing  people 
than  these. 

"  Sit  down,  Jacky,"  said  Joey,  putting  down  his  mug 
of  beer  on  the  window  sill.  "  I  understand  you  've  met 
Dick  to-night  afore  this.  Well,  he 's  got  something 
important  to  tell  you  —  and  all  of  us,  for  that  matter." 

David,  in  no  little  wonder  and  apprehension,  tossed 
his  hat  on  the  bed  and  sat  down  upon  its  edge.  Ruby 
was  sitting  at  the  little  table  in  the  center  of  the  room, 
her  elbows  upon  it,  her  chin  in  her  hands.  She  was 
gazing  fixedly  at  the  nonchalant  outsider  who  leaned 
back  in  the  only  rocking-chair  and  puffed  at  his  pipe. 
He  had  declined  the  mug  of  beer  that  had  been  tendered 
by  the  opulent  Joey. 

A  big,  greasy  kerosene  lamp  hung  from  the  ceiling 
almost  directly  above  Ruby's  head.  She  had  removed 
her  hat.  Her  hair  gleamed  black  in  the  glow  from 
above.  Casey  sprawled  ungracefully  on  a  couch  near  by. 


186  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  've  seen  that  precious  uncle  of  yours,"  announced 
Dick,  in  his  most  degage  manner. 

David  started  up.     "  My  uncle  ?  " 

"  Yep,"  replied  Dick,  enj  oying  the  situation. 

"  Where  ?     Is  —  is  he  in  town  ?  "  cried  the  other. 

"  Squat,  Jacky.  Don't  flop  off  your  base  like  that. 
Always  keep  a  cool  head.  Look  at  me.  If  the  ghost 
of  my  own  dad  was  to  pop  out  of  that  lamp  chimbley 
there,  noose  and  all,  I  would  n't  bat  an  eye." 

"  Tell  me!  What  has  happened?  "  demanded  David, 
sitting  down.  He  observed  that  the  others  wore  very 
serious  expressions.  Joey  was  frowning. 

"  Well,  't  is  a  bitter  tale,"  observed  Dick,  in  his  most 
theatric  drawl.  "  Don't  look  so  solemn,  Ruby.  It 's 
all  going  to  turn  out  beautiful,  like  the  story-books  do. 
No,  kid,  he  ain't  in  town,  —  leastwise  he  's  not  in  this 
rotten  burg.  Gawd  knows  where  he  is  right  now.  Last 
I  saw  of  him  was  in  Richmond  four  days  ago." 

"  Go  on,  Dick.    For  heaven's  sake,  don't  you  see  —  " 

"  You  're  anxious  to  know  how  your  dear  relative  is, 
I  twig,  as  Joey  would  say.  Well,  you  can  take  it  from 
me,  he  's  very  poorly.  If  I  was  him  I  'd  —  " 

"  Get  to  the  point,  Dick,"  growled  Joey. 

"  Don't  be  kidding,"  added  Ruby  eagerly. 

"  All  right,"  said  he  resignedly.  "  Well,  I  've  been 
to  Jenison  Hall,  Jacky.  It 's  quite  a  place.  If  you 
ever  want  to  sell  it  give  me  the  first  chance  at  it." 

The  others  drew  up  to  the  table,  David  and  Casey 
standing.  The  pickpocket  had  lowered  his  voice. 

"  I  got  an  idea  into  my  nut  a  couple  of  weeks  ago," 
went  on  Dick,  squinting  at  the  lamp  reflectively.  "  I 
let  it  soak  in  deep  and  then  I  proceeded  to  act  on  it.  I 
hopped  on  a  freight  one  night  about  ten  days  ago, 
and  lit  out  for  Richmond,  without  sayin*  a  word  to 
anybody.  Y»u  had  told  me  a  good  bit  of  your  own 


ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING        187 

story,  David,  and  Joey  had  told  me  the  rest,  adding  his 
confidential  opinions  as  to  what  really  happened  on  the 
night  of  the  murder.  Thinks  I,  if  I  can  get  my  hooks 
on  that  uncle  of  his,  I  can  make  him  squeal.  Well,  I 
went  out  and  hung  around  Jenison  Hall  for  a  night  or 
two,  gettin'  the  lay  o'  the  land.  To  be  perfectly  honest 
with  you,  I  inspected  the  interior  from  top  to  bottom 
one  night.  That 's  a  very  nice,  comfortable  room  of 
yours,  David. 

"  Next  day  I  walked  up,  bold  as  you  please,  to  the 
front  door  and  asked  for  Mr.  Jenison.  I  had  found  out 
in  the  village  that  he  was  drunk  three-fourths  of  the 
time  and  raisin'  he —  Cain  with  everybody  on  the  place. 
Gawd,  how  they  hate  him  down  there!  Up  I  walks,  as 
I  said  before.  He  was  having  a  mint  julep  in  the  gal 
lery,  the  nigger  said.  So  I  walked  right  around  where 
he  was  and  introduced  myself  as  Robert  Green,  of  New 
York.  He  said  he  did  n't  know  me  and  did  n't  want 
to.  What  a  mean  thing  drink  is!  He  ain't  a  bad 
lookin'  feller,  as  fellers  go.  The  only  thing  against 
him,  I  'd  say,  is  that  he  looks  about  half  crazy  —  sorter 
dippy,  off  his  nut,  batty. 

"  To  make  the  story  short,  seeing 's  it 's  so  late,  I 
up  and  told  him  I  was  n't  there  to  be  monkeyed  with. 
I  wanted  five  thousand  dollars  out  o'  him  mighty  quick 
or  I  'd  tell  all  I  knowed  about  the  murder  of  his  father. 
Well,  you  's  orter  seen  him  set  up !  I  thought  he  was 
going  to  die  on  the  spot.  He  upset  his  glass.  Say,  is 
there  anything  that  smells  nicer  than  a  mint  julep? 
There 's  the  most  appealin'  odor  to  it.  If  I  was  a 
drinkin'  man  I  'd  surely  go  daft  over  —  but,  excuse 
me.  I  notice  you  are  yawning,  Jack,  and  Ruby  's  half 
asleep." 

"  Go  on,"  said  she,  her  bright  eyes  glistening. 

"  Then  he  said  he  'd  have  me  kicked  off  'n  the  place. 


188  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

But  I  just  mentioned  having  seen  that  nigger  lawyer 
on  the  night  of  the  murder,  right  out  in  front  of  the 
house.  What 's  more,  said  I,  I  heard  the  shot  that  was 
fired.  Being  at  that  time  unfortunately  engaged  in 
walkin'  from  Richmond  to  Washington,  I  was  makin' 
for  the  nearest  town  when  night  came  on.  So  I  had  to 
sleep  in  that  barn  down  the  road.  I  had  all  the  dates 
right  in  my  mind,  and  the  hour,  and  the  whole  business 
pictured  out  puffect,  as  Joey  'd  say.  I  did  n't  give  him 
a  chance  to  do  much  talkin'.  I  sees  I  had  him  guessin', 
so  I  just  sailed  in  and  told  him  just  how  it  happened, 
claimin'  that  the  nigger  told  it  to  me  after  I  had 
jumped  out  and  grabbed  him  as  he  run  past  me  in  the 
road,  thinkin',  says  I,  there  had  been  some  skullduggery 
goin'  on  or  he  would  n't  be  chasin'  his  legs  off.  Well, 
sir,  that  uncle  o'  your'n,  for  all  his  bluff,  was  sweatin' 
like  a  horse.  Somehow,  he  forgot  to  have  me  kicked 
out. 

"  My  story  was,  that  after  I  'd  grabbed  the  nigger 
he  told  me  he  had  n't  done  the  shootin',  and  begged  me 
to  let  him  go.  He  said  the  shootin'  had  been  done  by 
the  old  man's  son,  and  a  lot  more  stuff  like  that.  To 
clinch  the  business,  I  said  the  nigger,  scared  half  to 
death,  told  me  about  getting  a  deed  signed  that  night 
and  about  a  will  that  had  been  substituted,  and  so  on 
and  so  forth.  I  was  just  repeatin'  what  you  said, 
David.  Well,  by  gum,  he  was  knocked  silly.  He  saw 
that  I  did  know  all  about  everything.  I  could  tell  that 
by  the  way  he  swallowed  without  having  anything  to 
swallow. 

"  He  kind  o'  got  control  of  himself  after  a  while, 
though,  and  began  to  question  me  sarcastic-like.  First, 
he  wanted  to  know  where  the  nigger  was  now,  and  what 
woodpile  he  was  in.  I  told  him  I  did  n't  know  anything 
about  the  rascal,  except  that  he  'd  promised  to  give 


ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING        189 

me  five  hundred  dollars  if  I  'd  let  him  off  and  on  con 
dition  I  was  never  to  tell  his  employer  of  what  had 
passed  between  us.  '  Well,'  says  your  uncle,  '  did  he 
give  you  the  five  hundred  ?  '  *  No,'  says  I,  '  he  said  he 
could  n't  do  it  until  you  had  got  control  of  the  old 
boy's  money.'  Then  your  uncle  laughed.  He  said  I 
was  a  fool.  '  But,'  says  I,  *  he  gave  me  some  valuable 
trinkets  he  'd  stolen  from  a  cabinet  in  the  house  when 
you  were  not  looking.  He  said  they  were  heirlooms 
and  would  easily  bring  a  thousand.'  '  You  infernal 
liar,'  said  your  uncle,  but  he  got  a  little  paler. 
1  Would  you  like  to  take  a  peek  at  what 's  in  this  little 
bag?  '  says  I,  pulling  a  leather  pouch  from  my  inside 
pocket.  He  sort  of  nodded,  so  I  took  out  a  wonderful 
gold  snuff-box  with  the  picture  of  a  gorgeous  French 
lady  and  a  big  letter  '  N  '  engraved  on  it  and  held  it  up. 
His  eyes  almost  popped  out,  but  he  managed  to  sit 
still.  Then  I  showed  him  a  magnificent  gold  watch,  a 
couple  of  rings  set  with  rubies  and  diamonds  and  —  " 

"  How  did  you  get  them  ?  "  cried  David,  his  eyes 
wide  with  amazement.  "  I  remember  them.  They 
once  belonged  to  my  father.  My  grandfather  gave 
them  to  me  a  few  weeks  before  he  was  killed.  But 
—  but  I  did  not  have  time  to  get  them  that  night. 
They  were  left  —  " 

"  Right  where  you  put  'em,'  said  Dick  coolly.  "  In 
the  secret  drawer  of  that  old  wardrobe  in  your  room. 
Kid,  you  've  got  an  awful  memory.  Don't  you  recollect 
tellin'  me  they  were  there  and  that  you  'd  give  anything 
in  the  world  to  have  your  father's  watch,  your  mother's 
rings  and  your  great  grandfather's  snuff-box  that  had 
belonged  to  Napoleon  Bonaparte?  Well,  I  just  went 
in  and  got  'em  for  you,  that 's  all." 

"  A  reg'lar  magician,  by  cricky !  "  gasped  Joey. 

"  Don't   interrupt,   Joey,"    commanded  Dick,   vastly 


190  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

pleased  with  himself.  His  audience  was  fairly  hanging 
on  his  words.  "  Well,  sir,  you  'd  orter  seen  him  then. 
I  thought  he  'd  bust.  He  said  something  about  his 
brother  and  his  brother's  watch.  I  did  n't  wait  for  him 
to  get  collected.  I  then  proceeded,  with  a  great  deal 
of  caution,  to  take  out  of  another  pocket  a  long,  frayed, 
yellow  envelope.  '  This,'  said  I,  '  was  given  to  me  by  the 
nigger  that  night.  It  had  once  contained  a  large  sum 
of  money,  he  said,  but  you  had  taken  most  of  it,  leaving 
him  just  fifty  dollars.  Do  you  recognize  the  envelope?  ' 

"  I  held  it  out,  but  beyond  his  reach.  He  sat  there 
for  three  minutes  gazin'  at  the  handwritin'  on  the  thing, 
his  lips  moving  as  if  he  did  n't  know  they  were  doing 
it.  *  My  God,'  he  says,  '  it  is  Arthur's  handwriting. 
I  'd  know  it  among  a  million.'  Then  he  jumped  up  and 
began  to  curse.  *  Three  thousand  dollars ! '  he  yelled, 
forgettin'  himself.  *  Did  that  black  scoundrel  say  I 
had  taken  it  ?  He  lied.  He  took  it  himself.  I  've 
never  seen  this  before.  I  did  n't  know  it  existed ! ' 
Suddenly  he  sees  that  he  was  giving  himself  away, 
so  he  flops  down  and  pants  like  a  horse  with  the 
heaves. 

"  I  put  the  things  back  in  my  pocket,  and  calmly 
says,  *  I  reckon  you  '11  pony  up  the  five  thousand,  won't 
you  ?  '  Well,  sir,  what  do  you  think  he  does  ?  Pie  pulls 
himself  together  and  politely  asks  me  to  have  a  julep. 
I  never  did  see  such  nerve.  He  says  he  '11  go  and  ask 
the  servant  to  make  it.  He  has  an  old  darky  named 
Monroe  on  the  place,  says  he,  who  makes  the  best  julep 
in  Virginia.  '  No,'  says  I,  putting  my  hand  on  my  hip 
pocket  in  a  suspicious  manner,  '  I  guess  not.  You  fork 
over  the  five  first.'  Well,  he  gets  to  thinking  hard. 
Finally  he  says  he  '11  be  hanged  if  he  '11  be  blackmailed. 
'  All  right,'  says  I,  *  you  '11  find  me  at  the  tavern  in  the 
town  over  there  if  you  want  to  change  your  mind. 


ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING         191 

Think  it  over.  I  '11  give  you  two  days  to  get  the  coin 
together.' 

"  With  that  I  got  up  and  walked  away,  just  as  ca'm 
as  you  please.  I  knowed  he  was  done  for.  He  killed 
your  grandpa  sure,  David,  and  he  knowed  he  was  found 
out.  I  walked  right  peartly,  though,  so  's  he  could  n't 
have  a  chance  to  go  in  and  get  a  gun  before  I  was 
safely  down  the  road  to  where  my  saddle  horse  was  tied. 
I  went  back  to  the  tavern,  paid  my  bill,  and  took  a 
train  out  of  town.  But  I  got  off  at  the  first  station  and 
doubled  back,  sleeping  that  night  in  a  barn.  The  next 
day,  up  he  comes  to  town.  He  was  a  sight,  he  was  so 
pale  and  shaky.  I  could  see  he  'd  been  drinkin'  all 
night  most.  They  told  him  at  the  tavern  I  'd  gone 
away,  up  to  Washington  to  consult  the  President  about 
something,  but  that  I  'd  be  back  in  two  days.  I  never 
saw  a  man  look  so  white  as  he  did  when  he  rode  past 
the  place  where  I  was  hiding,  on  his  way  back  home. 
I  hung  around  the  post-office  all  day,  knowing  just  as 
sure  as  shootin'  that  he  'd  write  to  the  nigger,  wher 
ever  he  was.  Sure  enough,  about  two  o'clock  up  comes 
the  darky  that  had  admitted  me  the  day  before,  bring 
ing  a  couple  of  letters. 

"  He  stuck  'em  in  his  pocket  while  he  hitched  his 
horse  to  the  rack.  I  bumped  into  him  accidental-like. 
'Nough  said.  A  minute  later  he  was  lookin'  everywhere 
on  the  ground  for  his  letters,  and  he  was  scairt,  too, 
I  '11  tell  you  that.  I  went  back  and  asked  him  if  he  was 
lookin'  for  his  letters.  He  said  he  was.  I  said  *  you 
dropped  'em  in  the  wagon.'  I  reached  in  and  made 
believe  to  pick  'em  up.  I  'd  had  'em  long  enough  to  see 
that  one  was  addressed  to  I.  Perry,  212  Clark  Street, 
Chicago." 

"  Chicago,"  cried  David  excitedly.  "  You  must  give 
me  that  address,  Dick." 


192  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  The  other  was  to  John  Brainard,  Richmond,"  went 
on  Dick  imperturbably.  "  Know  him?  " 

"  He  runs  a  gambling  house  there." 

"  I  'm  not  fool  enough  to  monkey  with  Uncle  Sam, 
so  I  did  n't  attempt  to  open  the  letters.  It 's  a  bad 
game,  fooling  with  the  government.  They  always  get 
you.  Anyway,  I  had  found  out  all  I  wanted,  so  I  let 
him  drop  'em  in  the  office.  I  took  the  first  train  to 
Richmond  and  hung  around  Brainard's  place  for  a  day 
and  a  half,  playing  a  little  but  watchin'  the  boss  most 
of  the  time.  The  second  day,  your  uncle  came  in, 
loaded  for  keeps.  Him  and  Brainard  went  into  a  side 
room.  When  they  came  out  later  on,  I  was  standin' 
close  by.  Your  uncle  says  this  to  him :  '  Let  me  know 
the  minute  he  gets  here,  that 's  all.  He  's  sure  to  come, 
sooner  or  later,  curse  him.'  Then  he  went  away.  My 
job  was  over.  I'd  laid  the  fuse.  Nothing  more  for 
me  to  do  but  to  take  a  train  for  the  '  great  and  only  ' 
Van  Slye's.  Here  I  am,  and,  Joey,  here  's  that  envelope 
you  took  from  David  and  hid  so  carefully  in  the  lining 
of  your  satchel.  Also,  David,  permit  me  to  restore  to 
you  your  father's  watch  and  your  mother's  —  Hey, 
don't  blubber  like  that!" 

The  tears  were  streaming  down  David's  cheeks.  He 
had  snatched  up  and  was  kissing  the  precious  bits  of 
metal  the  narrator  had  dropped  upon  the  table. 

Ruby  looked  up  into  the  face  of  the  audacious  Rich 
ard.  Their  eyes  met  and  his  fell,  after  a  long  encounter. 

"  You  are  perfectly  wonderful,  Dick,"  she  said. 
"  Shake  hands  !  " 

"  It  was  n't  anything  much,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
clasped  her  hand.  "  Humph !  "  was  an  added  bit  of 
contempt  for  his  prowess. 

"  But,  Dick,  you  blooming  idiot,  don't  you  see  wot 
you  've  done  ?  "  cried  Joey  in  perplexity.  "  You  've 


ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING        193 

put  the  villain  on  'is  guard  —  you  've  queered  every 
thing  for  David.  He  '11  —  " 

"  Sure,"  put  in  Casey,  kicking  the  leg  of  the  table 
viciously.  "  He  '11  get  hold  of  that  nigger  and  find 
out  you  've  lied  like  a  sailor,  that 's  what  he  '11  do. 
Then  he  can  tell  you  to  go  to  the  devil.  Dick,  I  did  n't 
think  you  was  so  foolish." 

"  I  must  go  to  Isaac  Perry  in  Chicago  before  it  is 
too  late,"  said  David. 

"  Now,  just  hold  your  horses,  all  of  you.  I  know 
more  about  this  particular  line  of  business  than  you 
do.  In  the  first  place,  Frank  Jenison  is  scairt  stiff. 
I  bet  he  's  been  lookin'  for  me  to  drop  in  on  him  every 
day,  to  claim  the  swag,  or  fetch  an  officer  from  Wash 
ington.  He  don't  know  just  where  he  stands.  If  I'd 
ha'  stayed  around  there,  he  'd  have  a  chance  to  get  me. 
He  could  even  go  so  far  as  to  give  me  the  money.  Or 
he  'd  probably  put  a  bullet  in  me.  But  don't  you  see 
my  idea  ?  I  'm  lettin'  him  worry.  Worry  is  the  greatest 
thing  the  guilty  man  has  to  fight  against,  lemme  tell 
you  that.  It  nearly  always  breaks  'em  down.  He  finds 
I  'm  gone.  He  waits  for  me  to  come  back.  I  don't 
come.  He  goes  nearly  crazy  with  anxiety  and  dread. 
See  ?  Well,  in  time,  his  nerves  go  kerflop.  He  '11  seo 
ghosts  and  he  '11  see  scaffolds.  'Cause  why :  he  knows 
there 's  a  feller  wandering  around  somewhere  that 's 
on  to  him.  See?  " 

"  By  cricky,  you  're  right,"  cried  Joey,  leaping  to 
his  feet.  "  I  can  just  see  'im  now." 

"  But  when  he  sees  Perry  and  finds  out,"  protested 
Ruby,  twisting  her  fingers. 

"  I  '11  leave  it  to  David,  who  knows  Isaac  Perry  in 
and  out,  and  ask  if  he  thinks  his  uncle  Frank  will  be 
lieve  a  word  the  nigger  tells  him,  after  all  I  've  laid 
up  before  him.  Isaac  Perry  can  tell  the  truth  from  now 

13 


194  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

to  doomsday  and  Jenison  won't  believe  him.  I  've  fixed 
Isaac  proper.  What  Jenison  wants  now  is  to  get  hold 
of  Ikey  and  beat  his  brains  out.  And,  lemme  tell  you 
this,  on  the  word  of  an  experienced  gentleman,  that  is 
just  about  what  is  going  to  happen.  You  let  two 
skunks  like  that  get  wise  to  each  other  and  something 
desperate  is  bound  to  come  off.  Yes,  sirree,  I  've  fixed 
Isaac.  It 's  in  the  air.  If  he  escapes  alive  he  '11  be 
lucky." 

"  But  I  need  him  to  establish  my  innocence,"  cried 
David. 

"  You  just  trust  to  your  uncle  Frank  to  do  that, 
sooner  or  later.  I  '11  bet  my  neck,  he  's  actin'  so  queer 
these  days,  and  sayin'  so  many  foolish  things  that 
everybody  in  the  township  is  wonderin'  what  ails  him. 
Here  's  a  little  piece  of  rogue's  philosophy  for  you  all 
to  remember:  A  guilty  man  is  never  so  guilty  as  when 
he  realizes  that  somebody  is  dead  sure  and  certain  he 
is  guilty.  That 's  why  they  confess." 

"  Dang  me,  I  believe  you,"  said  Joey,  puffing  at  his 
empty  pipe. 

"  Now  put  it  this  way,"  went  on  the  philosopher, 
turning  to  David :  "  supposin'  you  actually  had  killed 
your  grandfather.  Would  your  eyes  be  bright  and 
your  lips  moist?  Would  you  be  sleepin'  well?  Would 
you  be  thinkin'  about  a  gal?  Now,  just  put  yourself 
in  that  position.  No,  sirree,  David:  you'd  be  a  wreck 
—  a  mental,  physical  wreck,  because  you  'd  know  that 
your  uncle  knowed  that  you  killed  his  father.  I  tell 
you  it  makes  a  terrible  difference  when  you  know  that 
some  one  else  knows.  Your  uncle  Frank  understands 
now  that  two  men  know  —  me  and  Perry.  He  knows 
I  'm  hangin'  around  somewhere  in  this  world,  ready  to 
spring  on  him.  Yep ;  there  's  no  more  peace  for  him, 
no  more  sleep.  He  '11  blow  his  brains  out,  perhaps.  But 


ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING         195 

he  '11  also  do  this  first :  he  '11  write  a  confession.  They 
never  fail  to  do  that,  these  guys  that  have  remorse." 

David  Jenison  placed  his  hands  on  the  other's  shoul 
ders  as  he  arose  from  the  chair.  The  Virginian's  eyes 
were  glowing  with  a  light  that  dazzled  the  pickpocket. 

"  Dick  Cronk,"  said  he,  hoarse  with  the  emotion  which 
moved  him,  "  I  would  do  anything  in  the  world  for 
you.  You  are  the  best  fellow  I  know.  I  don't  care 
what  you  are,  I  want  to  be  your  friend  as  long  as  we 
live.  I  mean  that.  Some  day  I  may  be  able  to  do 
something  half  as  great  for  you.  I  '11  do  it,  no  matter 
what  it  costs." 

Dick  was  abashed.  He  was  not  used  to  this.  His 
eyes  wavered. 

"  Oh,  thunder,"  he  said  in  a  futile  attempt  to  sneer. 
"  Let 's  say  no  more  about  it.  It  was  just  fun  for  me. 
Besides,  David,"  he  continued,  meeting  the  other's  gaze 
fairly,  "  you  stood  by  Ernie  that  day.  Don't  forget 
that,  kid.  You  did  n't  have  to,  you  know." 

"  You  chaps  can  settle  all  this  some  other  time," 
said  Joey  sharply.  "  Wot  we  want  to  get  at  now  is 
this :  Wot 's  to  be  done  next  ?  Is  David  to  set  down  and 
wait  or  is  he  to  go  back  there  and  wait?  " 

"Go  back  there?"  gasped  Dick.  "Why,  Joey 
Noakes,  ain't  you  got  a  mite  o'  sense?  You  old  noodle! 
Of  course,  he  ain't  to  go  back  there.  You  mark  my 
words,  purty  soon  his  neighbors  will  be  advertisin'  for 
him  to  come  home  and  forgive  'em.  No,  sir !  Wait  here 
until  something  drops.  Read  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer 
every  day,  kid.  You  '11  find  something  to  interest  you 
every  little  while  about  the  Jenison  murder  case.  You 
see,  my  buck,  they  're  still  lookin'  for  you." 

"  I  hope  it  all  turns  out  as  you  think,  Dick,"  cried 
David  fervently.  He  was  weak  with  excitement. 
"  Oh,  how  I  long  to  be  cleared  of  this  awful  thing ! 


196  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

How  I  long  for  the  sight  of  Jcnison  Hall !  And,  say, 
Dick !  If  I  should  go  back  there  as  master,  I  want  you 
and  Ernie  to  come  there  and  stay  —  all  the  rest  of  your 
lives.  I  —  " 

But  Dick  raised  his  hand;  his  eyes  had  narrowed. 
"  I  could  n't  do  that,  David,"  he  said,  a  harsh  note 
in  his  usually  pleasant  voice.  "  Thank  you,  just  the 
same.  Ernie  and  me  are  not  cut  out  for  places  like 
Jenison  Hall.  We  —  we  'd  have  all  the  silver  inside 
of  a  week  —  and  maybe  the  furniture."  His  face  flushed 
as  he  made  this  banal  excuse  for  jest. 

Ruby  cried  out  in  protest.  "  Don't  say  that,  Dick 
Cronk!  You  could  be  different.  Oh,  why  don't  you 
try  it,  Dick?" 

He  looked  down.  His  lips  worked  in  the  effort  to 
force  a  grin  of  derision.  His  hand  was  trembling.  No 
one  spoke;  somehow  they  felt  the  struggle  that  was 
going  on  within  him.  At  last  he  lifted  his  eyes  to  hers. 

"  Can't  do  it,  Ruby,"  he  said  quietly.  "  I  don't  think 
I  'm  naturally  a  thief,  but  it 's  got  hold  of  me.  If  I 
thought  there  was  a  chance,  maybe  I  'd  —  oh,  but  what 's 
the  use!  Let's  change  the  subject.  Jacky,  before  we 
part  for  the  night,  I  want  to  say  something  more  to  you. 
It  hurts  like  the  devil  to  say  it,  but  I  got  to.  You 
said  you  'd  like  me  and  Ernie  to  —  to  come  down  there. 
Well,  I  may  as  well  tell  you  right  here  in  front  of  these 
friends  of  our'n  that  Ernie  —  my  brother,  don't  like 
you.  Now,  don't  say  anything !  You  can't  understand. 
He  's  terrible  bitter  against  you.  You  '11  excuse  me  if 
I  say  there  's  a  —  a  girl  at  the  bottom  of  it." 

"A  girl?"  fell  from  David's  lips.  "You  —  Great 
heaven,  Dick,  you  don't  mean  —  Christine !  " 

Dick  nodded,  a  rueful  smile  flickering  about  his  lips. 
"  Poor  boy,"  he  said  apologetically,  "  he  can't  help  it. 
But  it's  so,  just  the  same.  And  I  want  to  ask  you  to 


ARTFUL    DICK    GOES    VISITING        197 

be  on  the  lookout  for  him  always,  kid.  He 's  liable 
to  get  you  some  time  if  he  can.  It 's  dirt  mean  of  me 
to  say  this  about  my  brother,  but  I  don't  want  him  to 
do  anything  like  that.  He  —  he  might  get  desperate, 
don't  you  see;  and  —  well,  just  keep  your  eye  skinned, 
that 's  all.  You  —  you  got  to  remember,  David,  that 
his  dad  swung  for  killin'  a  man.  Mebby  it 's  in  Ernie's 
system,  too.  He  's  had  such  a  horrible,  unhappy  life, 
I  —  I  somehow  can't  blame  him  for  having  it  in  for  us 
fellers  that  are  strong  and  straight." 

David  had  sunk  into  a  chair,  appalled  by  his  words. 

"  But  he  must  know  that  Christine  does  n't  care  for 
him,"  he  said  mechanically,  his  eyes  on  Dick's  face. 

"  Sure  he  does.  That 's  the  hard  part  of  it.  He  's 
bitter  jealous  of  you.  Course  she  wouldn't  think  of  a 
cripple  like  him.  But  he  's  got  it  into  his  nut  that  she 
would  n't  look  at  you  either  if  you  was  disfigured  or 
your  back  was  smashed  or  something  like  that.  I  keep 
arguing  with  him  and  he 's  sensible  when  he  takes 
time  to  think.  But,  just  the  same,  I  wish  you  'd  keep 
your  eye  peeled." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  he  feels  as  he  does  about  —  " 

"  Oh,  I  'm  not  asking  you  to  give  her  up,  kid  —  not 
for  a  minute.  Cop  her  out  if  you  can.  She  's  a  little 
Jim-dandy.  And,  say,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  others, 
who  had  listened  to  him  with  grave  uneasiness,  "  speak 
ing  of  her  reminds  me  that  you  may  expect  the  new 
partner  to-morrow." 

"  Bob  Grand  ?  "  growled  Joey. 

"  Yep."  Dick  had  cast  off  his  repressed  air  and 
was  grinning  once  more,  with  all  the  delight  of  a  teasing 
boy.  "  Old  skeezicks  was  on  the  train  with  me  this  even 
ing,  but  he  's  gone  on  to  the  next  stand.  He  looks  more 
than  ever  like  a  fat,  satisfied  slug." 

"  Well,"  said  Joey  reflectively,  "  we  don't  need  him, 


198  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

but  we  do  need  'is  money.  I  'ope,  Dicky,  you  did  n't 
deprive  'im  of  it." 

"  Joey,"  said  Dick  reproachfully,  "  do  you  think  I  'd 
take  the  bread  right  out  of  your  throat?  " 

David  lay  awake  until  nearly  dawn,  his  mind  whirling 
with  the  disclosures  of  the  night.  That  sweet  encounter 
in  love  still  lingered  uppermost  in  his  thoughts,  its  fires 
fed  afresh  by  the  brand  of  hope  that  Dick  had  tossed 
upon  them,  but  disagreeably  chilled  by  the  prospect  of 
new  trouble  in  the  shape  of  Ernie  Cronk.  He  fell 
asleep,  thinking  of  those  blissful  moments  under  the 
awning  when  he  held  her  slim,  unresisting  body  close  to 
his  own  and  they  were  all  alone  in  the  blackest  of  nights 
with  a  tempest  about  them.  In  the  background  of  his 
thoughts  lurked  Ernie  Cronk  and  still  farther  back  was 
the  ominous  figure  of  Colonel  Bob  Grand. 

For  the  first  time  in  many  weeks  he  did  not  think 
of  the  detectives  —  and  the  bloodhounds  ! 


CHAPTER    XII 

IN    WHICH    MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN 

WITH  all  the  irony  of  luck,  Colonel  Grand  brought 
fair  weather.  It  was  as  if  he  had  ordered  the  sun  to 
shine  and  it  obeyed  him. 

When  the  mud-covered  wagons  rumbled  into  town 
after  their  tortuous  twenty-mile  journey,  the  sun  was 
high  and  the  skies  were  clear  and  all  the  world  seemed 
to  be  singing  with  the  birds. 

David  had  prepared  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine ; 
they  looked  for  the  Colonel  on  the  station  platform  as 
the  train  rolled  in.  He  was  there,  waiting,  as  if  di 
rected  by  Providence,  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  which  Mrs. 
Braddock  was  to  descend.  He  had  eyes  for  no  one  until 
she  appeared  in  the  car  door.  Then  his  ugly  smile 
projected  itself;  his  silk  hat  came  off  and  he  bowed 
low.  One  knowing  the  innermost  workings  of  Colonel 
Grand's  mind  would  have  understood  the  profoundness 
of  that  bow.  He  was  giving  her  time  to  collect  herself ; 
he  was,  on  his  own  part,  deliberately  evading  the  look 
of  repugnance  he  knew  so  well  would  leap  into  her  eyes 
at  the  first  glimpse  of  him. 

She  did  not  see  the  hand  he  extended,  but  with  a 
cool  nod  of  her  head,  stepped  unaided  to  the  platform. 
Another  man  would  have  felt  the  rebuke.  Colonel 
Grand,  with  the  utmost  deference  in  his  manner,  quietly 
relieved  her  of  the  traveling  bag,  his  hat  still  in  his 
hand.  He  sent  a  smile  of  greeting  up  to  David  and 
the  angry-eyed  Christine. 


200  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Bring  Christine's  bag,  Jack,"  he  called  out.  "  I 
have  a  hack  waiting  on  the  other  side  of  the  depot.  It 
is  too  muddy  for  walking." 

Mary  Braddock  drew  herself  up,  her  eyes  flashed  and 
her  lips  parted  to  resent  this  easy  proprietorship.  But 
she  saw  that  a  group  of  performers  were  staring  at 
them  in  plain  curiosity.  She  closed  her  lips  in  bitter 
determination,  and  walked  off  at  his  side.  Close  behind 
came  her  daughter  and  the  young  Virginian. 

Joey  Grinaldi  addressed  himself  to  the  little  knot  of 
strollers. 

"  I  never  did  see  such  a  look  as  she  gave  'im,"  said 
he.  "My  eye!  It  *,  j  a  stinger.  Take  my  word 
for  it,  she  's  going  to  take  the  bit  in  Jer  mouth  afore 
you  know  it,  and  show  that  hyena  wot  she  's  made  of." 

"Hyena,  dad?"  scoffed  his  daughter.  "He's  not 
even  that.  He  's  a  rep-tile." 

"  Well,  he  brought  the  sunshine,"  said  one  of  the 
women  half-heartedly. 

"  But  it 's  still  muddy,"  retorted  Joey  with  dogged 
pessimism.  They  trooped  off  after  him,  each  one  lighter 
hearted  in  spite  of  a  dull  reluctance,  simply  because 
Colonel  Grand  had  brought  not  only  the  sunshine  but 
a  life-saving  opulence. 

Thomas  Braddock,  muddy,  unkempt  and  sour,  had 
managed  to  sleep  off  some  of  the  effects  of  the  liquor 
he  had  poured  into  himself  the  night  before.  True  to 
his  word,  he  had  traveled  by  wagon.  The  treasurer  of 
the  circus  had  seen  to  it  that  he  was  tossed  like  a  bundle 
of  rags  into  the  ticket  wagon,  there  to  roll  and  jostle 
from  wall  to  wall  over  twenty  miles  of  oblivion. 

He  was  waiting  at  the  show  grounds  for  the  return  of 
the  street  parade  when  he  saw  his  wife  and  Christine 
approaching,  followed  at  some  distance  by  Colonel 
Grand  and  the  faithful  David. 


IN    WHICH    MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN     201 

"  Well,"  said  he  harshly,  as  the  women  came  up  to 
him,  "  you  were  too  good  to  travel  as  I  did,  eh?  Had 
to  borrow  money  to  ride  in  palace  cars,  eh?  Fine 
thing  for  you  to  do,  you  two,  —  setting  an  example 
like  that.  I  suppose  Bob  Grand  put  up  for  you.  I 
notice  you  did  n't  mention  his  name  to  me,  you  —  " 

Christine  and  her  mother  had  talked  long  and  ear 
nestly  together  on  the  train  coming  down.  The  girl's 
cheeks  had  burnt  during  that  serious  conference,  to 
which  no  outsider  was  admitted.  Her  mother  had  lis 
tened  to  an  eager,  piteous  appeal  from  the  lips  of 
the  girl;  it  was  the  cry  of  a  maiden  who  suddenly 
realizes  that  she  is  conscious  of  a  modesty  heretofore 
dormant.  Together  they  were  now  taking  up  a  very 
portentous  question  with  Thomas  Braddock,  with  small 
hope  of  having  him  see  the  matter  from  their  point 
of  view. 

Mary  Braddock  had  no  retort  ready  for  his  ruffianly 
insinuation. 

"  Are  you  too  busy,  Tom,  to  come  over  to  the  cook- 
tent  with  us  for  a  few  moments?  I  want  to  speak  very 
seriously  about  something  that  has  been  on  my  mind 
for  some  time." 

Colonel  Grand  and  David  were  sauntering  off  in  the 
direction  of  the  animal  tent. 

"  Why  ain't  that  loafer  in  the  parade  where  he  be 
longs  ?  "  demanded  Braddock,  glaring  red-eyed  at  the 
retreating  David. 

"  How  should  I  know?  Ask  Colonel  Grand.  He  ap 
pears  to  be  giving  directions  nowadays,"  said  his  wife 
bitterly. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  of  me  ?  Let 's  have  it, 
please.  I  'm  busy." 

"  Not  out  here,  Tom.     Come  over  to  the  cook-tent." 

Braddock  glanced  at  her  sharply.      It  occurred  to 


202  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

him  that  she  was  unusually  calm  and  serious.  He  turned 
after  a  moment  and  led  the  way  to  the  cook-tent,  which 
was  always  unoccupied  at  this  time. 

There,  in  sullen  amazement,  he  listened  to  the  plea 
of  his  wife  and  daughter.  He  raged  back  at  them  as 
they  pleaded;  he  met  Mary's  calm,  patient  arguments 
with  sneers  and  brutal  laughter ;  he  put  a  stop  to  Chris 
tine's  supplications  with  an  oath  that  shocked  and  dis 
tressed  her  more  than  anything  that  ever  had  happened 
to  her  in  all  her  life. 

"What  do  you  take  me  for?  "  he  roared,  time  and 
again,  for  want  of  better  weapons  to  meet  his  wife's 
determined  assault.  In  the  end,  he  struck  the  table 
a  mighty  blow  with  his  clenched  fist,  but  he  was  very 
careful  to  have  the  table  between  them.  More  than 
once  he  had  followed  the  impulsive  movement  of  her 
hand  in  a  sort  of  craven  alarm,  born  of  the  conviction 
that  he  might  have  driven  her  at  last  to  the  point  where 
a  pistol  would  put  an  end  to  his  wretched  dominion. 

"  Now,  this  ends  it,"  he  shouted.  "  I  won't  hear  any 
thing  more  about  it.  She  's  got  to  wear  tights  as  long 
as  I  say  so.  What  the  devil 's  got  into  you  two  all 
of  a  sudden?  Lookee  here,  Christine,  don't  ever  let  me 
hear  you  make  such  a  fuss  as  this  again.  By  thunder, 
I  '11  —  I  '11  lick  you,  that 's  what  I  '11  do.  I  've  never 
laid  a  rough  hand  on  you  yet.  I  've  alms  treated  you 
as  a  kind  father  should.  But  don't  drive  me  to  forget 
myself.  You  got  to  wear  tights  and  do  this  act  as 
long  as  we  run  this  show.  We  —  " 

"  But,  father,  please,  I  —  I  am  getting  too  big," 
sobbed  Christine. 

"Too  big!"  he  roared.  "Great  Scot!  Why,  you 
little  whipper-snapper,  you  're  just  beginning  to 
get  big  enough  to  look  well  in  'em.  Too  big!  Say, 
you  're  j  ust  getting  a  shape  that 's  worth  noticin'.  I 


IN    WHICH    MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      20S 

suppose  that  peanut  aristocrat  friend  of  yours  has 
told  you  it  ain't  swell  or  proper  to  wear  tights.  He  '11 
get  his  back  broke  some  of  these  days,  if  he  puts  ideas 
into  that  silly  head  of  yours.  Too  big !  Say  what 's 
the  matter  with  you,  Christine?  Why,  they  're  just 
beginning  to  talk  about  what  a  fine  shape  —  " 

"  Thomas  Braddock !  "  exclaimed  his  wife  furiously. 
The  girl  had  dropped  down  on  one  of  the  seats,  bury 
ing  her  flushed  face  in  her  arms. 

"  Well,  confound  it,"  he  mumbled,  vaguely  conscious 
of  a  shamed  sense  of  the  old  manhood.  "  I  did  n't 
mean  to  upset  her  like  that.  But,  lookee  here,  Mary, 
I  don't  want  no  more  of  this  nonsense  about  her  doing 
a  side-saddle  menage  act.  She  's  a  world  beater  at  the 
other  thing.  I  won't  listen  to  this  guff.  That  ends  it. 
You  go  on  doing  this  Avork  with  Tom  Sacks,  Christie. 
I  don't  give  a  rap  whether  the  Jenison  *  Joy '  likes  it 
or  not." 

Christine  sprang  to  her  feet,  her  face  convulsed. 

"  I  shall  ask  Colonel  Grand  to  help  me.  He  owns  part 
of  the  show.  His  interest  and  mother's  together  are 
greater  than  yours  —  " 

"  Christine !  "  cried  her  mother,  stunned. 

His  face  went  grayish  white ;  the  cigar  hung  loosely 
in  his  parted  lips,  and  a  thin  stream  of  saliva  oozed 
from  the  opposite  corner.  He  tried  to  speak  but  could 
not.  She  unconsciously  had  struck  a  blow  that  hurt 
to  his  innermost,  neglected  soul. 

"  I  '11  show  you  who  's  boss  of  this  show,"  he  managed 
to  articulate  at  last.  Suddenly  his  knees  gave  way 
under  him.  He  sagged  heavily  forward,  dropping  to- 
the  board  seat.  With  one  last  desperate,  stricken  glare 
in  his  eyes,  he  lowered  his  head  to  his  arms.  A  mighty 
sob  of  utter  humiliation  rent  his  body. 


204  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Mary  Braddock  hesitated  for  an  instant,  then  impul 
sively  laid  her  hand  on  her  husband's  shoulder.  A 
wave  of  pity  for  this  wretch  surged  into  her  heart. 

"  Don't,  Thomas  !  Be  a  man !  Everything  will  be 
well  again,  boy,  if  you  '11  only  make  a  stand  for  your 
self.  I  will  help  you  —  I  will  always  help  you,  Tom. 
You  know  I  —  " 

He  shook  off  her  pitying  hand  and  struggled  to  his 
feet.  Without  a  glance  at  her  or  at  their  terrified 
daughter,  he  flung  himself  from  the  tent  and  tore 
across  the  lot  as  though  pursued  by  demons.  By  the 
time  he  found  Colonel  Grand  and  David  in  the  animal 
tent,  however,  his  blind  rage  had  dwindled  to  ugly 
resentment;  the  overwhelming  shame  his  own  child  had 
brought  to  the  surface  shrank  back  into  the  narrow 

O 

selfishness  from  which,  perhaps,  it  had  sprung. 

Five  minutes  before,  he  had  wanted  to  kill.  Now  he 
was  ready  to  compromise. 

"  Grand,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  I  'm  going  to  sell  out  — 
I  'm  going  to  get  out  of  this.  I  'm  going  to  Cincinnati 
to-night  and  look  up  Barnum's  man.  He  's  ready  to 
buy." 

Colonel  Grand  eyed  him  shrewdly.  He  could  see  that 
something  had  shaken  the  man  tremendously.  The 
Colonel  believed  in  strong  measures.  He  knew  pre 
cisely  how  to  meet  this  man's  impulses.  In  his  time 
he  had  seen  hundreds  of  desperate  men. 

"  Tom,  you  're  drunk,"  he  announced  coldly. 
"  When  you  are  sober  you  '11  kick  yourself  for  the 
thought.  Go  and  lie  down  awhile.  I  won't  talk  with 
you  while  you  're  in  this  condition." 

"Drunk?"  gasped  Braddock.  "Bob,  so  help  me, 
I  'm  not  drunk,"  he  almost  whined. 

"  Then  you  must  be  crazy,"  observed  the  other, 
walking  away. 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      205 

David  saw  an  opportunity  to  escape  the  company  of 
both.  He  was  edging  away  when  Braddock  stopped 
him. 

"  Say,  you !  I  want  to  give  you  a  bit  of  advice. 
If  you  go  to  putting  high-sounding  notions  in  Christie's 
head,  I  '11  break  every  bone  in  your  body.  If  you 
don't  like  the  way  she  dresses  in  the  ring,  why  do  you 
look  at  her  all  the  time?  " 

Further  utterance  on  his  part,  or  any  effort  David 
may  have  contemplated  in  resenting  his  attack,  was 
prevented  by  the  appearance  of  Ruby  Noakes,  who 
came  running  up  from  the  main-top,  waving  a  news 
paper  in  her  hand  and  crying  out  in  the  wildest 
excitement : 

"David!  David!  Have  you  heard?  Have  you  seen 
it?  We've  been  looking  for  you  everywhere.  Here! 
Look !  It 's  to-day's  Enquirer!  See  what 's  happened ! 
Your  uncle !  " 

The  vanguard  of  the  "  parade "  had  reached  the 
lot.  Cages  came  creaking  through  the  wide  aperture 
at  the  end,  and  were  wheeled  skillfully  into  place  by 
expert  drivers.  Gayly  dressed  horsemen  trotted 
through.  Every  one  was  shouting  to  David. 

His  ears  rang,  everything  went  black  before  him. 
He  could  not  seize  the  paper  that  Ruby  held  before 
his  eyes,  nor  were  his  eyes  quite  capable  of  reading 
the  sharp,  characteristic  headlines  that  stood  out  be 
fore  him  in  the  first  column  of  the  Enquirer.  The  let 
ters  danced  impishly,  as  if  to  confuse  him  further. 
Jenison  —  Jenison  —  Jenison  everywhere !  That  was 
all  he  could  see,  all  he  could  grasp. 

Dick  Cronk's  prophecy  had  been  fulfilled. 

His  uncle  Frank  Jenison  was  dead.  Some  one  was 
shouting  it  in  his  ear.  There  had  been  a  deathbed 
confession.  He  was  no  longer  a  fugitive!  He  was 
exonerated  —  he  was  free ! 


206  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  laughed  hysterically  and  pressed  the  damp  sheet 
to  his  lips.  Ruby  Noakes  threw  her  arms  about  his 
neck  and  kissed  him  for  joy.  The  voices  of  the  half 
hundred  people  crowding  about  him  buzzed  in  his  ears. 
They  were  shaking  hands  with  him,  slapping  his  back 
and  laughing  with  him,  although  he  did  not  know  that 
he  laughed. 

Above  the  hum  of  eager  voices  rose  one  that  was  dis 
cordant,  hoarse  with  passion. 

"  Clear  out !     Skip,  I  say  !     All  of  you !  " 

Thomas  Braddock  was  shoving  the  glad  performers 
about  as  if  they  were  tenpins,  raging  like  the  lions 
which  roared  their  surprise  at  this  unseemly  hubbub 
in  front  of  the  cages. 

From  sheer  excitement,  David's  head  was  reeling; 
his  senses  began  to  slip  away ;  his  legs  were  tottering. 

Suddenly  the  crowd  fell  away.  One  man  was  facing 
him.  The  unconscious  smile  was  still  on  the  boy's 
lips  as  he  looked  into  the  convulsed  face  of  Braddock. 
The  power  to  dodge  the  blow  aimed  at  his  face  had 
gone  with  his  wits.  He  only  knew  that  Christine's 
father  was  striking;  he  could  only  wait,  with  hazy 
indifference,  for  the  blow  to  land. 

"  I  won't  have  any  disobedience  here,"  roared  the 
frantic  manager,  as  he  struck  out  in  Ms  bestial  rage. 
"  I  guess  that  '11  stop  it." 

David  was  lying  at  his  feet,  stunned  by  the  savage 
blow. 

"  When  -I  say  a  thing  I  mean  it,"  shouted  Brad- 
dock,  turning  to  the  stupefied  crowd.  "  He  can't 
hold  a  jubilee  in  this  here  animal  tent.  Who  owns  this 
show,  anyway  ?  " 

He  drew  back  his  foot  to  kick  the  prostrate  boy. 
Half  a  dozen  women  screamed  in  terror. 

"  Don't  do  that,  Braddock ! "  cried  a  level  voice  in 
his  ear. 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      207 

He  whirled  to  face  Colonel  Bob  Grand. 

"  If  you  kick  that  boy  I  '11  shoot  you,"  said  the 
Colonel  almost  impassively. 

"  Do  I  own  this  show  or  not  ?  "  was  all  that  Brad- 
dock  could  howl. 

"  Get  him  out  of  here,"  said  Grand,  turning  to  the 
angry  circle  of  men.  "  Sober  him  up  or  turn  him  over 
to  the  police." 

"  What !  "  choked  out  Tom  Braddock,  his  eyes  bulg 
ing.  "  You  say  this  to  me !  " 

"  See  here,  Braddock,  I  kept  your  wife  and  daughter 
outside.  They  did  n't  see  this  cowardly  trick  of  yours. 
You  may  have  to  explain  to  them  why  you  did  it. 
You  can't  explain  to  the  rest  of  these  people.  We 
don't  like  brutes." 

A  dozen  men  crowded  forward  with  threatening 
mien.  Tom  Braddock  shrank  back  in  mortal  terror. 

"  Don't  jump  on  me,  boys  —  don't !  I  —  I  '11  go  out. 
I  '11  go  peaceable.  Let  me  get  out  where  there  's  air. 
I  must  have  been  crazy." 

He  almost  ran  to  the  sidewall  and  crept  into  the 
open  air.  As  he  slunk  off  among  the  wagons,  he  felt 
himself  overwhelmed  by  a  sudden  sense  of  desolation, 
a  sickening  realization  that  he  had  no  friends,  and, 
worse  than  all  this,  —  that  no  one  feared  him ! 

A  curious  acknowledgment  of  his  own  degradation 
came  with  the  stealthy  impulse  to  go  back  later  on 
and  search  for  the  stub  of  cigar  that  had  dropped  from 
his  mouth  during  the  encounter. 

In  the  dressing-tent,  a  few  minutes  after  the  pro 
prietor's  brutal  exhibition,  David  Jenison  sat  in  the 
center  of  a  wondering,  superstitious  group.  Not  one, 
but  nearly  all  of  them  attributed  his  good  fortune 
to  the  working  of  some  spell  peculiarly  brought  about 
by  the  influence  of  certain  "  signs."  The  champion 


208  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

bareback  rider  recalled  that  David  had  found  a  horse 
shoe  no  longer  ago  than  ten  days.  The  Iron-jawed 
woman  substituted  the  black  cat  charm,  while  Mademoi 
selle  Denise  held  out  for  the  virtues  of  occasional  en 
counters  with  Ernie  Cronk,  the  hunchback,  whose  hump 
he  must  have  touched  surreptitiously,  no  doubt. 

Only  Joey  and  Ruby  and  Casey  looked  wise  and  said 
nothing.  Dick  was  the  luck-piece  that  brought  it  all 
about. 

David  sat  on  a  trunk,  holding  a  wet  towel  to  his 
red,  swollen  cheek.  He  had  been  steadied  by  the  ad 
vice  of  these  good  friends,  all  of  whom,  urged  him 
for  the  sake  of  others  to  attempt  no  violent  return  for 
the  blow  Braddock  had  given  him.  Never  was  mortal 
so  sore  at  heart  as  he,  but  he  read  wisdom  in  their 
argument. 

"  He  ain't  responsible,"  said  Joey,  putting  the  whole 
of  his  summing  up  in  a  single  phrase. 

The  great  news  had  finally  found  a  clear  lodgment 
in  David's  brain.  He  had  listened  to  the  reading  of 
the  newspaper  story  by  Ruby  Noakes.  It  was  now 
very  plain  to  him  that  his  present  vicissitudes  were 
at  an  end.  The  joy  and  relief  that  filled  his  soul 
were  counterbalanced  to  some  extent  by  the  fact  that 
Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  had  not  come  up  to 
congratulate  him.  He  could  not  understand  this  and 
was  hurt. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  the  newspaper  account 
in  full.  The  sensational  story  took  up  columns  in  the 
paper;  the  history  of  the  case  was  repeated  from  the 
murder  of  old  Mr.  Jenison  to  the  final  tragedy.  Con 
siderable  space  and  speculation  were  given  to  the  un 
happy  accusation  of  the  grandson,  who  had  disap 
peared  as  if  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  It  was  the 
opinion  of  the  paper,  as  well  as  of  the  officers  of  the 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      209 

law,  that  the  proud  young  man,  unable  to  face  the  cruel 
disgrace  and  injustice,  had  made  way  with  himself. 

It  was  announced  in  heavy  black  type  that  his 
county  would  not  rest  until  the  body  of  the  last  of  the 
Jenisons  was  found  and  laid  away  with  the  greatest 
ceremony.  David  laughed  with  the  others  at  this  laud 
able  but  tardy  appreciation. 

As  for  the  story  of  Frank  Jenison's  death,  it  was, 
according  to  the  newspaper,  "  so  strange  that  fiction 
paled  by  contrast."  Jenison  and  his  negro  accomplice, 
Isaac  Perry,  had  quarreled  in  one  of  the  private  card- 
rooms  at  Brainard's  place  in  Richmond,  where  they 
had  met  by  appointment.  The  negro,  driven  desper 
ate  and  in  great  fear  of  the  white  man,  finally  drew  a 
revolver  and  began  firing  wildly  at  his  employer,  who 
returned  the  shots.  Perry  was  killed  by  a  bullet  which 
found  his  heart.  One  of  the  negro's  shots,  however, 
had  penetrated  the  abdomen  of  Frank  Jenison.  He 
was  mortally  wounded.  On  being  informed  by  the 
surgeons  that  he  had  but  a  few  hours  to  live,  the  miser 
able  wretch  directed  that  his  confession  be  written  out 
at  his  dictation,  that  he  might  put  his  signature  to 
it  and  thereby  set  his  unhappy  nephew  straight  in  the 
eyes  of  a  condemning  world. 

The  full  text  of  this  confession  was  printed.  The 
reader  of  this  tale  has  heard  enough  of  it,  in  one  way 
or  another,  to  determine  for  himself  the  chief  facts  in 
connection  with  the  murder  of  old  Mr.  Jenison.  It  was 
Frank  Jenison  who  shot  him,  deliberately  laying  his 
plans  so  as  to  direct  suspicion  to  David.  The  nephew 
played  into  his  hands  in  a  most  startling  manner. 
A  more  convincing  set  of  circumstances  could  not  have 
been  imagined,  much  less  prepared. 

Isaac  Perry  was  the  first  to  propose  the  plan  of 
substituting  a  forged  will,  but  at  the  time  neither 

14 


210  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

of  them  contemplated  the  assassination  of  the  old 
gentleman.  It  was  not  until  it  became  known  to  them 
that  Mr.  Jenison  intended  to  deed  over  a  great  part 
of  his  estate  to  David  before  his  own  death  that  they 
saw  the  necessity  for  hastening  the  end.  The  will  was 
prepared  in  Perry's  room  at  Richmond.  The  names 
of  the  witnesses  belonged  to  men  who  were  dead  and 
could  not  repudiate  the  signatures.  Then  came  the 
signing  of  the  quitclaim  deed  which  provided  an  oppor 
tunity  to  substitute  the  will,  and  which,  as  far  as 
Isaac  Perry  was  concerned,  was  a  bona  fide  transaction. 
The  little  plot  of  ground  was  in  truth  a  portion  of  his 
own  compensation  exacted  in  advance  of  the  murder. 

Perry  was  to  have  done  the  shooting.  At  the  last 
minute  his  nerve  failed  him.  Frank  Jenison  then 
coolly  directed  his  henchman  to  stand  guard  while  he 
committed  the  diabolical  deed.  To  use  his  dying  words, 
his  father  "  was  ready  to  die  anyway,  so  it  was  a 
kindness  to  end  life  suddenly  for  him." 

We  know  how  David  walked  into  the  trap,  and  how 
he  crept  out  of  it  only  to  become  an  outlaw,  hunted 
and  execrated.  Perry  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  was 
to  remain  for  a  few  months  before  coming  back  to  re 
ceive  his  promised  share  of  the  money  which  Jenison  was 
to  realize  on  the  sale  of  certain  properties  as  soon  as 
he  was  clearly  established  as  heir  to  the  estate. 

Remorse  began  to  gnaw  at  the  heart  of  the  mur 
derer.  He  could  not  sleep  without  dreaming  of  his 
slain  father,  nor  could  he  spend  a  waking  hour  that  Avas 
free  from  thoughts  of  the  innocent  boy  who  would  be 
hanged  if  the  law  laid  its  hands  upon  him. 

Then,  one  day,  there  came  a  stranger  who  told  him  of 
Isaac  Perry's  treachery.  The  thing  he  feared  had 
come  to  pass  —  Perry's  defection.  He  made  up  his 
mind  to  kill  this  dreaded  stranger,  and  to  follow  that 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      211 

deed  with  another  of  the  same  sort  which  would  deliver 
him  of  Isaac  Perry.  But  the  stranger  disappeared. 
He  did  not  come  to  claim  his  blood  money.  The  terror 
which  fell  upon  Frank  Jenison  was  overpowering.  He 
sent  for  Isaac  Perry,  hoping  against  hope  that  the 
stranger  had  lied  and  that  with  the  negro's  support  he 
could  defy  him.  Perry  came  to  Richmond,  expecting  to 
receive  his  promised  reward  in  coin  of  the  realm.  The 
half-crazed  white  man  accused  him  of  treachery.  The 
negro  lawyer  vehemently  denied  every  allegation,  but, 
becoming  alarmed  by  the  other's  manner,  fell  into  a 
panic  of  fear  and  began  shooting. 

At  the  end  of  his  confession,  Frank  Jenison  said: 
"  My  soul  is  black.  It  is  already  charred  by  the 
fires  of  hell.  I  was  a  traitor  to  our  beloved  cause, 
although  acquitted  of  the  charge  by  fraud  and  decep 
tion.  I  killed  my  own  father.  I  would  have  killed 
others.  My  nephew  has  long  borne  the  stain  of  guilt 
that  is  going  with  me  to  a  dishonored  grave.  I  go  with 
the  brand  of  Cain  on  my  soul.  There  will  be  no  rest  for 
me  in  the  hereafter.  I  have  not  the  courage  to  ask 
God  to  be  merciful.  But  I  believe  in  God.  I  have 
tried  not  to  believe  in  him.  I  have  denied  him  all  my 
life.  To-day,  for  the  first  time  in  memory,  I  can  say 
—  and  it  is  with  my  last  breath  —  I  can  say  that  I 
thank  God  for  one  great  act  of  mercy.  He  has  per 
mitted  me  to  live  long  enough,  with  this  bullet  in  me, 
to  say  to  the  world  that  my  nephew,  David  Jenison,  is 
as  innocent  as  I  am  guilty." 

"  Well,"  said  Grinaldi  the  clown,  his  voice  doleful  in 
contrast  to  the  cheery  smile  he  assumed,  when  it  came 
time  for  all  to  go  to  the  cook-tent  for  dinner,  "  I 
dessay  we  '11  'ave  to  stop  calling  you  Jack  Snipe. 
Wot 's  more,  David,  you  '11  be  going  back  to  Virginia 


212     .        THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

at  once  and  settling  down  to  be  a  genuine  gentleman. 
Afore  you  think  of  going,  my  lad,  let  it  be  fully 
impressed  in  your  'eart  that  we  all  love  you  and  we 
all  wish  you  the  greatest  'appiness  in  the  world.  You 
'ave  been  a  very  poor  clown,  but  I  dessay  't  is  more  the 
fault  of  your  bringing  up  than  anything  else.  A  clown 
'as  to  be  born,  David,  just  the  same  as  any  other  genius. 
I  suppose  it 's  too  soon  yet  to  talk  about  your  plans 
—  wot  you  intend  to  do  fust." 

"  First  of  all,  Joey,"  said  David,  his  face  aglow 
with  the  fervor  that  was  crowding  up  from  the  depths 
of  his  grateful  soul,  "  I  want  to  say  to  you  and  to  all 
of  you,  that  if  I  live  to  be  a  thousand  years  old  I 
shall  never  forget  how  good  and  how  kind  you  have 
been  to  me.  My  home  will  always  be  yours,  my  friends, 
just  as  your  home  has  been  mine.  Jenison  Hall  will  bid 
you  welcome,  come  what  may.  You  will  find  Joey 
Grinaldi  there.  My  home  is  his,  when  he  chooses  to 
forsake  the  ring.  And  Ruby's,  too.  God  bless  and 
reward  all  of  you !  " 

"  When  are  you  going  to  leave  us,  David  ?  "  asked 
one  of  the  women. 

David  put  his  finger  to  the  bruised  spot  on  his 
cheek. 

"  My  career  as  a  clown  in  Van  Slye's  show  ended 
when  that  blow  was  struck.  You  know  quite  well  that 
I  could  not  have  stayed  after  that,  even  though  other 
conditions  were  unchanged.  I  cannot  eat  of  that  man's 
bread ;  I  cannot  serve  him.  I  have  no  trunk  to  pack, 
you  know.  Just  that  old  satchel  of  Joey's,  in  which 
my  linen  is  carried.  So  I  am  walking  out  of  this  tent 
now,  free  in  more  ways  than  one.  When  I  come  again 
I  shall  pay  my  way  at  the  main  entrance.  No!  Don't 
ask  me  to  go  to  the  cook-tent!  It  is  impossible.  As 
for  my  plans,  I  —  " 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN 

He  stopped,  stilled  by  a  sudden,  overwhelming  sense 
of  desolation.  All  this  meant  that  he  would  have  to 
leave  Christine!  His  days  with  the  show  were  over. 
His  sweet,  throbbing  hours  with  her  were  at  an  end. 
Life  for  him  had  changed  as  with  the  blinking  of  an 
eye.  Nothing  could  be  the  same.  All  the  loneliness  of 
despair  he  had  known  during  those  weeks  of  fear  and 
trembling  was  as  naught  compared  to  the  outlook 
that  now  confronted  him,  so  bleak  and  so  barren  that 
his  young  soul  sickened.  For  the  moment  it  seemed 
to  him  that  she  was  about  to  go  out  of  his  life  forever. 

His  heart  revolted.  There  surged  up  the  fierce 
impulse  to  cast  away  his  patrimony,  his  name,  his  pride 
and  honor.  He  would  not  desert  her,  even  for  a  day. 

"  As  for  my  plans,"  he  began  once  more,  and  again 
stopped. 

Joey  understood  the  struggle  that  was  going  on 
within  him.  The  old  clown,  in  his  own  capricious  life, 
had  been  called  upon  a  hundred  times  to  give  up  the 
things  he  loved,  the  associations  he  cherished. 

"  We  '11  talk  'em  over  later  on,  David,"  he  said,  put 
ting  his  arm  over  the  boy's  shoulder.  "  Come  along 
with  me  and  Ruby.  We  '11  go  to  a  restaurant  and  'ave  a 
bite  together.  I  —  I  suppose  you  '11  be  saying  good-by 
to  them  striped  tights  and  the  spotted  trunks." 

"  I  should  like  to  buy  them,  Joey,"  cried  David 
eagerly. 

"  They  are  yours,  my  lad ;  take  'em.  They  belong 
to  me.  Now,  let 's  get  out  of  this.  I  don't  think  it 's 
best  for  Brad  to  find  you  'ere." 

As  they  left  the  lot,  David  carrying  all  of  his  pos 
sessions  in  the  unwieldy  satchel,  they  were  met  by 
Colonel  Grand. 

"  David,"  said  he,  falling  in  beside  them,  "  have  you 
sufficient  funds  to  carry  you  back  to  old  Virginia? 


214  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

If  you  need  money,  I  will  gladly  let  you  have  it  —  as 
a  loan." 

They  were  surprised  by  the  offer. 

David  hated  him.  "  No,  Colonel  Grand,  I  can't 
take  your  money,  even  as  a  loan.  It  will  be  easy  for 
me  to  raise  the  amount." 

The  Colonel  gave  him  an  ugly  smile. 

"  As  you  like,"  he  said.  He  lifted  his  hat  to  Ruby 
and  abruptly  turned  back. 

Far  ahead  were  two  figures  that  they  knew  well. 
Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  were  hurrying  away  from 
the  grounds  as  if  desirous  of  avoiding  a  meeting  with 
the  young  man. 

David  urged  his  companions  to  a  more  rapid  walk. 
They  overtook  the  Braddocks  at  the  corner  of  an  avenue 
which  led  off  to  the  residence  section  of  the  town. 

"  You  have  heard?  "  asked  David,  as  they  turned  in 
response  to  his  call.  "  You  know  what  has  happened  ?  " 

He  could  see  that  the  girl  had  been  crying.  Mrs. 
Braddock's  face  was  white  and  set. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  older  woman.  "  And  you  are  going 
home,  David?"  She  spoke  quietly. 

"I  —  I  don't  know  yet,"  he  stammered.  Christine's 
face  had  been  averted.  Now  she  looked  at  him. 

"  You  —  oh,  David,  you  don't  really  think  of  stay 
ing  with  us?  "  she  cried,  her  eyes  glowing. 

"  You  must  not  think  of  it,  David,"  whispered  her 
mother  hastily.  "  Your  place  is  at  Jenison  Hall.  You 
belong  there.  Lose  no  time,  my  dear  boy,  in  returning 
to  your  home." 

They  had  come  to  a  little  park  adjoining  a  church 
yard  where  there  were  benches.  He  led  them  to  one 
of  the  seats  farthest  removed  from  the  pavement.  Joey 
and  Ruby  strolled  into  the  churchyard. 

"  I  suppose   I   shall  have  to  go   back,"    said  David 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      215 

gloomily.  "  For  a  few  days,  at  least.  They  will  be 
expecting  me.  And  the  property  is  mine  now  —  and 
all  that.  But,  Mrs.  Braddock,"  he  went  on  feverishly, 
"  I  am  coming  back.  In  a  week,  yes,  or  less  than  that. 
I  am  coming  back  to  be  with  you  —  to  help  you.  I 
can't  stay  away  now,  Mrs.  Braddock.  It  would  make 
me  too  unhappy.  I  must  be  near  Christine.  She 's 
more  to  me  now  than  anything  else  in  all  this  world." 

Mrs.  Braddock  smiled  wanly.  "  You  are  very 
young,"  she  said,  "  and  very  impulsive.  Do  you  think 
it  would  be  kind  to  Christine  if  you  were  to  follow  the 
show  for  no  other  reason  than  to  be  near  her?  Would 
that  be  the  act  of  a  sincere  friend?  She  would  be  com 
promised,  I  think  you  will  admit.  It  was  diiferent  be 
fore.  You  were  one  of  us.  Now  you  are  an  outsider. 
Even  the  easiest-going  of  the  performers  would  resent 
your  attitude  if  you  were  to  follow  us  now.  It  is  an 
unwritten  law  among  us  that  an  outsider  is  always  an 
outsider.  We  are  like  gypsies.  Even  you,  who  have 
been  one  of  us,  can  have  no  future  standing  in  our 
tribe  —  for  that  is  what  we  are,  David.  You  must  take 
your  place  among  those  who  look  on  from  afar.  As  in 
dividuals  Ave  will  always  greet  you  and  give  you  the 
best  of  our  love ;  collectively  we  cannot  take  you  among 
us.  That  is  over.  You  are  —  " 

"  But  I  may  still  be  a  performer,"  he  cried  insist 
ently.  He  had  taken  Christine's  hand  in  his,  only  to 
have  it  gently  withdrawn  by  the  girl. 

"  No,  David,"  said  Mary  Braddock  firmly,  "  it  is  out 
of  the  question.  You  are  no  longer  a  soldier  of  for 
tune.  You  are  a  Jenison  of  Jenison  Hall.  We  can't 
build  a  bridge  for  that." 

"  But  I  won't  stand  it ! "  he  exclaimed  passionately. 
"  I  will  come  back." 

"  As  a  clown?  "  said  she,  smiling. 


216  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  '11  buy  a  part  interest  in  the  show,"  he  said 
stubbornly. 

"  You  are  not  of  age,"  she  reminded  him.  "  The 
courts  will  name  a  guardian  for  you,  I  fancy.  No,  my 
boy,  we  must  face  the  thing  squarely.  We  shall  be 
glad  to  see  you  if  you  happen  to  be  where  we  may 
meet  naturally." 

"  But  I  love  Christine,"  he  protested.  "  You  told  me 
last  night  that  you  would  put  no  obstacle  in  our  way 
to  —  " 

"  I  told  you  last  night  that  I  would  put  no  obstacle 
in  your  way,  David,  if  you  came  to  me  in  five  years 
and  still  could  say  that  you  love  her  and  would  make 
her  your  wife." 

"  But  we  thought  then  that  I  might  always  be  near 
her  —  with  the  show,  perhaps,"  he  argued. 

"  Quite  true.  But  all  that  is  blotted  out,  don't  you 
see." 

Christine  was  weeping  silently. 

"  You  think  I  '11  forget  her !  "  he  cried  angrily. 

"  Oh,  David !  "  moaned  Christine. 

"  You  think  I  '11  not  care  for  her  always  —  " 

"  Listen,  David,"  said  the  mother  patiently.  "  I  can 
think  of  no  greater  joy  that  could  come  to  me  than  to 
see  Christine  your  wife  —  some  day.  But  we  must  face 
the  true  conditions.  She  may  always  be  a  circus  rider. 
I  hope  to  take  her  away  from  fhis  life  —  yes,  soon, 
may  it  please  God.  You  think  now  that  you  will  always 
care.  But  I  know  the  world.  I  know  youth  too  well. 
I—" 

"  But  you  were  not  much  older  than  Christine  when 
you  were  married,"  he  blurted  out.  He  regretted  the 
unhappy  remark  almost  before  it  left  his  lips.  She 
turned  away  her  face,  and  no  word  came  in  response 
for  a  full  minute.  Then  she  ignored  the  tactless 
announcement. 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      217 

"  You  must  go  your  way,  David.  We  will  go  ours. 
If  God  is  good  to  us,  we  may  come  together  again, 
and  we  may  still  be  happy.  You  are  eighteen,  Chris 
tine  is  fifteen.  You  do  not  know  your  minds,  my 
children.  I  have  thought  it  all  out.  You  must  be  con 
tent  to  wait.  Christine  must  come  to  you  from  a  dif 
ferent  sphere,  David.  It  is  not  as  it  was.  She  must 
not  be  of  the  circus." 

"  Mrs.  Braddock,"  said  he,  rising  to  his  full  height, 
"  I  only  ask  you  to  believe  that  I  love  her,  and  that  I, 
at  least,  will  not  change.  Will  you  change,  Christine?  '* 

"  No,"  said  the  girl,  giving  him  her  hand  as  she 
rose  to  look  into  his  eyes  with  the  whole  of  her 
young  heart  glowing  in  hers.  "  I  will  not  change, 
David." 

"  Then,  Mrs.  Braddock,  as  a  Jenison  of  Jenison 
Hall  I  formally  ask  you  for  the  hand  of  your  daughter. 
A  gentleman  may  keep  his  word  of  honor  for  five  years 
—  for  a  hundred  years.  I  pledge  my  love,  my  name, 
my  fortune  to  her." 

"  David,"  cried  the  mother,  twisting  her  fingers  in 
the  agony  of  a  despair  that  could  no  longer  be  con 
cealed,  "  how  can  we  know  what  the  next  five  years 
may  bring  to  us?  What  will  they  be  to  my  darling 
child?  Oh,  if  I  only  knew  the  way  to  save  her  —  to 
preserve  her,  to  give  her  what  belongs  to  her  by  all 
the  laws  of  nature !  "  .- 

"  You  must  leave  the  show,"  he  cried.  "  Give  up 
everything.  It  is  no  place  for  either  of  you.  Let 
me  help  you.  Mrs.  Braddock,  give  it  up  before 
it  is  too  late.  I  know  that  harm  will  come  to  you 
here." 

He  pleaded  long  and  earnestly  with  the  silent,  de 
pressed  woman.  In  the  end  she  held  up  her  hand,  and 
he  waited. 


218  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Time  will  tell,  David,"  she  said.  "  When  it  becomes 
too  heavy  to  bear  I  will  cast  off  my  yoke.  That  is  all 
I  will  say."  She  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  then  went 
on,  holding  out  her  hand :  "  Good-by,  David.  You  are 
going  to-night?  " 

"I  suppose  so,"  he  said  dejectedly.  "But,  listen; 
I  am  coming  back  very  shortly  for  a  few  days.  I  insist 
on  that.  If  all  is  not  going  well  with  you  and  Chris 
tine,  I  shall  know  it.  I  mean  to  watch  over  her  in 
spite  of  everything." 

"  We  will  see  you  again  before  you  leave,"  said  the 
mother.  "  I  am  sure  we  understand  each  other.  Come 
back,  David,  if  you  will,  but  only  for  a  day.  Let  us 
walk  home.  You  may  walk  with  Christine.  Say  your 
good-bys  now.  Joey!  Are  you  coming?" 

When  the  train  for  the  East  pulled  out  at  eleven 
o'clock  that  night  David  was  aboard.  He  positively 
had  refused  to  take  back  any  of  the  money  he  had 
lent  to  Mrs.  Braddock,  preferring  to  borrow  from 
Joey  and  Casey.  Christine  kissed  him  good-by  at  the 
station. 

"  I  know  that  my  father  struck  you,  David,"  she 
whispered,  as  she  put  her  hand  to  his  cheek.  "  That 
won't  prevent  your  coming  back,  will  it?  You  will 
come,  won't  you?" 

"  As  surely  as  I  am  alive,"  he  said  fervently. 

There  were  tears  in  his  eyes  as  the  train  rolled  away. 
He  had  said  good-by  to  ah1  of  them  —  to  Joey  and 
Ruby  and  Casey,  and  they  had  wished  him  good  luck 
with  that  complaisant  philosophy  which  was  theirs  by 
nature. 

Some  one  sat  down  beside  him  in  the  seat.  He  looked 
up. 

"  I  guess  I  '11  go  part  ways  with  you,"  said  Artful 
Dick  Cronk  comfortably.  "  I  want  you  to  do  me  a 


IN    WHICH   MANY    THINGS    HAPPEN      219 

favor.  Take  this  money  and  step  into  the  little 
inn  there  in  your  town  and  pay  the  woman  what  I 
owe  her.  I  forgot  to  settle  when  I  left.  She  was  a 
very  good  woman.  I  never  trim  a  woman,  good  or 
bad." 

Primarily,  Dick  Cronk  was  traveling  with  David 
because  his  brother  had  disappeared  from  the  snack- 
stand  early  in  the  evening.  The  watchful  pickpocket 
scented  trouble.  Before  joining  David  in  the  coach,  he 
traversed  the  length  of  the  train  to  assure  himself  that 
Ernie  had  not  slipped  aboard  in  the  darkness  for  the 
purpose  of  doing  evil  to  the  Virginia  boy  when  least 
expected.  He  was  satisfied  that  Ernie  was  not  aboard, 
but  it  was  now  necessary  for  him  to  go  on  to  the  next 
station  before  leaving  the  train. 

"  I  owe  her  five  dollars  and  sixty  cents.  Tell  her  to 
keep  the  change.  I  hear  you  're  coming  back  soon  to 
visit  the  —  er  —  show.  Let  me  put  you  onto  Colonel 
Grand.  He  's  a  good  loser,  that  old  boy  is.  He  's 
terrible  disappointed  because  you  've  squared  yourself 
with  the  law.  He  had  something  up  his  sleeve  for  you, 
but  this  spoils  it  all.  But  you  noticed  that  he  took  it 
very  pleasantly  —  polite  and  agreeable  cuss,  he  is,  when 
he  has  to  be.  Maybe  you  'd  like  to  know  what  his 
game  was." 

"  I  think  I  know,  Dick." 

"  Nix.  I  guess  not.  You  were  to  do  him  a  great 
favor  before  long.  You  were  going  to  run  away  with 
Christie  Braddock !  " 

David  started.  "  You  are  mistaken,"  he  cried  in 
dignantly.  "  I  would  n't  think  of  such  a  thing." 

"  Just  the  same,  kid,  that 's  what  he  had  it  fixed  for 
you  to  do,  and  you  could  n't  ha'  got  out  of  it.  He  's 
a  wonder,  he  is.  That 's  the  only  way  he  could  get 
rid  of  Christie;  and,  with  Christie  gone,  Mrs.  Brad- 


220  THE    ROSE    IN    THE 

dock's  spirit  would  be  smashed.  He 's  going  to  get 
rid  of  Tom  Braddock  purty  soon.  Tom  don't  know  it, 
but  his  days  with  this  show  are  numbered." 

"  What  a  cold-blooded  devil  he  is !  "  cried  David. 

"  Hot-blooded  's  what  I  'd  call  him." 


CHAPTER     XIII 

THE    SALE 

WE  will  forsake  David  Jenison  for  the  time  being. 
He  is  well  started  on  his  journey  to  the  home  of  his 
forefathers,  where  complete  restoration  and  the  news 
paper  reporters  await  him.  Let  the  imagination  pic 
ture  the  welcome  he  is  to  receive;  if  possible,  let  it  also 
describe  the  attitude  of  the  community  which  had 
hunted  him  with  dogs  and  deadly  weapons,  but  which 
now  stood  ready  to  cast  itself  without  reserve  at  the 
feet  of  the  boy  who  had  been  so  cruelly  wronged. 

Picture  Mr.  Blake's  disgust  at  learning  from  David's 
own  lips  how  he  had  been  outwitted  by  the  circus  people, 
and  contrast  it  with  his  sincere  relief  in  contemplation 
of  the  fact  that  he  had  not  captured  the  boy  in  those 
days  of  prejudice. 

We  leave  all  these  details  to  the  generous  intelligence 
of  the  reader,  for  he  knows  that  the  heir  to  Jenison 
Hall  has  come  unto  his  own  again ;  and  he  also  knows 
that  in  spite  of  all  that  can  be  done  to  make  life  bright 
and  cheerful  for  David,  there  is  still  a  shadow  in  the 
background  that  turns  the  world  into  a  bleak  and  deso 
late  waste  for  him. 

Two  weeks  passed  over  his  head  before  he  was  able 
to  turn  away  from  the  bewildering  mass  of  legal  re 
quirements  and  look  once  more  to  the  West,  whither 
his  heart  was  forever  journeying.  Not  all  the  excite 
ment  that  filled  the  fortnight  to  overflowing,  nor  all 
the  homage  that  came  to  him,  could  ease  the  dull,  in- 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

sistent  pain  of  separation  from  interests  so  vital  to  his 
young  heart. 

He  stole  away  one  night,  accompanied  by  a  single 
servant  —  for  now  he  was  "  lord  of  the  manor "  and 
traveled  only  as  a  true  gentleman  of  the  South  should 
travel.  Half-way  to  his  destination  he  stopped  off  to 
draw  from  the  savings  bank  the  money  he  had  placed 
there.  With  this  small  fortune  in  his  possession  lie 
resumed  the  journey,  now  closely  guarded  by  old  Jeff, 
who  always  had  been  a  slave  to  the  Jenisons  and  would 
be  till  he  died,  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  contrary. 

David's  constant  prayer  was  that  he  might  not  be 
too  late. 

He  was  destined  to  find  many  changes  in  Van 
Slye's  Great  and  Only  Mammoth  Shows. 

Let  us  go  back  to  the  night  after  the  one  which  saw 
David's  departure  from  the  show.  For  two  da}^s 
Thomas  Braddock  had  slunk  about  the  show  grounds, 
morose,  ugly,  taciturn.  He  avoided  every  one  except 
those  with  whom  he  was  obliged  to  consult.  His  wife 
and  daughter  caught  fleeting  glimpses  of  him ;  Colonel 
Grand  and  the  others  saw  him  but  little  more.  He  held 
aloof,  brooding  over  his  wrongs,  accumulating  a  vast 
resentment  against  the  world  and  all  of  its  inhabitants, 
obsessed  by  the  single  desire  to  make  some  one  else 
suffer  for  the  ignominy  that  had  come  to  him. 

Strangely  enough,  his  most  bitter  resentment  was 
lodged  against  the  wife  who  had  stood  by  him  all  these 
years,  through  thick  and  thin,  through  incessant  storm 
and  hardship,  with  a  staunchness  that  now  maddened 
him,  because,  down  in  his  heart,  he  could  see  no  guile 
in  her.  She  was  too  good  for  him;  she  held  herself 
above  him ;  she  made  him  to  feel  that  he  was  not  of  her 
world  —  from  the  beginning.  She  was  loyal  because 
it  would  have  put  her  in  his  class  if  she  had  lifted  her 


223 

voice  in  public  complaint.  He  knew  that  she  loathed 
him ;  he  hated  her  for  the  virtue  which  gave  her  the 
right  to  despise  him  and  yet  to  remain  loyal  to  him. 
His  sodden,  debased  soul  resented  the  odious  comparison 
that  his  own  flesh  and  blood  justly  could  make.  There 
had  been  bitter  moments  when  this  maudlin  wretch  al 
most  convinced  himself  that  he  could  rejoice  in  the 
discovery  that  Christine  was  not  of  his  flesh  and  blood, 
that  this  too  virtuous  woman  was  not  pure,  after  all. 

His  sullen  despair  brought  him  to  even  lower  depths. 
In  half-sober  moments  he  began  to  realize  that  his 
daughter  feared  and  despised  him.  She  had  come  to 
feel  the  distinction  between  her  parents,  and  she  had 
done  the  perfectly  obvious  thing  in  following  the  in 
stincts  of  the  gentle  blood  that  was  in  her:  she  had 
cast  her  lot  with  her  mother.  He  forgot  his  own  aspi 
rations  and  hopes  for  her  in  this  bitter  hour.  He 
wanted  to  hurt  her,  so  that  she  might  cry  out  with  him 
in  ugly  rage  against  the  smug,  serene  paragon.  If 
he  only  could  bring  Mary  to  his  level,  so  that  Chris 
tine  might  no  longer  be  so  arrogantly  proud  of  the 
blood  that  came  through  the  Portmans. 

He  drove  himself  at  last  into  such  a  condition  of 
hatred  for  all  that  was  good  and  noble  that  he  would 
have  hailed  with  joy  the  positive  proof  that  his  wife 
had  been  untrue  to  him ! 

All  day  long  he  had  been  singularly  abstemious. 
His  brooding  had  caused  him  to  forget  or  to  neglect 
the  appetite  that  mastered  him.  Toward  evening  he 
resumed  his  drinking,  however,  mainly  for  the  purpose 
of  restoring  his  courage,  which  had  slumped  terribly 
in  this  estimate  of  himself. 

When  the  time  came  to  go  over  the  receipts  with  the 
ticket-sellers  he  pulled  himself  together  and  prepared 
to  assert  his  authority.  He  tossed  away  the  empty 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

bottle  and  advanced  upon  the  wagon,  his  face  blanched 
by  self-pity.  He  was  confounded  by  the  sight  of 
Colonel  Grand,  sitting  inside  and  going  over  the  cash 
with  Hanks,  the  seller. 

"What  do  you  want?"  demanded  Colonel  Grand, 
when  Braddock,  after  trying  the  locked  door,  showed  his 
convulsed  face  at  the  little  window.  Hanks  looked 
uncomfortable. 

"  Let  me  in  there,  Grand !  "    grated  the  man  outside. 

"  I  '11  attend  to  this.  We  can't  have  you  bothering 
with  the  finances  —  " 

"  I  '11  kick  that  door  in,"  roared  Braddock ;  "  and 
I'll  kill  somebody!" 

Colonel  Grand  picked  up  the  treasurer's  revolver. 
He  smiled  indulgently. 

"  I  'm  taking  care  of  the  money  after  this,  Brad." 

"  I  own  this  show,  damn  you !  I  —  I  —  I  '11  fix  you  !  " 
sputtered  the  other.  He  began  to  cry. 

"Get  away  from  that  window!"  snapped  Grand,  his 
eyes  glittering. 

"  Oh,  say,  now,  Bob,  treat  me  fair  —  treat  me  right," 
pleaded  Braddock,  all  at  once  abject. 

"  I  '11  talk  to  you  later  on.     Get  away !  " 

"  Don't  throw  me  down,  Bob.  I  Ve  always  done  the 
square  thing  by  you.  Did  n't  I  pay  up  everything  I 
owed  you  by  —  " 

"  Are  you  going  to  leave  that  window  ?  "  demanded 
Grand. 

The  miserable  wretch  looked  into  the  deadly  eyes  of 
the  man  inside,  and  realized.  A  great  sob  arose  in  his 
throat.  He  held  it  ba.ck  for  a  moment,  but  it  grew 
and  grew  as  he  saw  no  pity  in  the  steely  eyes  beyond. 

"  My  soul ! "  he  groaned,  with  the  bursting  of 
the  sob.  He  withdrew  his  ghastly  face  and  rushed  away 
in  the  night,  stumbling  over  ropes  and  pegs,  creating 


THE    SALE  225 

no  end  of  havoc  among  the  men  who  happened  to  toil 
in  his  path.     They  ran  from  him,  thinking  him  mad. 

Half  an  hour  later  Ernie  Cronk  came  upon  him. 
He  was  sitting  on  the  curb  across  the  street  from  the 
circus  lot,  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  his  chin  in  his  hands 

—  staring,  staring  through  dry,  hot  eyes  at  the  tented 
city  that  was  slipping  away  from  him. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  the  hunchback,  in  his 
high,  querulous  voice. 

The  older  man  did  not  respond.  He  did  not  alter 
his  position  when  the  questioner  spoke  to  him. 

"  What  are  you  looking  at?  "  asked  the  other. 

"  Ernie,"  began  Braddock  in  a  voice  that  sent  a 
shiver  across  the  boy's  crooked  back,  it  was  so  sepul 
chral,  "  let  me  take  your  pistol  a  second." 

Ernie  Cronk  drew  back  a  step.  He  eyed  Braddock 
narrowly. 

"  Who  are  you  going  to  kill?  "  he  asked  after  a 
moment. 

"  Myself,"  said  Braddock,  lifting  his  haggard  face. 

Again  the  hunchback  looked  long  at  the  man.  Then, 
without  a  word,  he  handed  a  new  revolver  to  Thomas 
Braddock.  It  was  not  the  small  derringer  he  was 
wont  to  carry. 

Braddock  seemed  surprised  by  the  boy's  readiness. 
He  received  the  weapon  gingerly.  A  sudden  spasm 
shook  his  big  frame. 

"Is  —  is  it  loaded?"  he  inquired,  less  lugubrious 
than  he  had  been  before. 

"  No,"  said  Ernie  shortly.  Braddock's  chest  swelled 
suddenly.  "  I  suppose  you  think  I  'm  fool  enough  to 
let  you  kill  yourself  with  my  gun  and  me  right  here 
where  they  could  nab  me.  It  's  got  blank  ca'tridges, 
that 's  all.  Somebody  changed  'em  on  me  last  night 

—  just   before   that  —  that    sneak   went   away   on   the 

train." 

15 


226  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Volumes  could  not  have  told  more  than  that  single 
sentence. 

Braddock  handed  the  weapon  back  to  him. 

"  But  if  you  really  want  to  shoot  yourself,"  went  on 
Ernie  maliciously,  "  I  've  got  a  round  of  real  ca'tridges 
here.  While  you  're  loadin'  the  gun  I  can  make  a 
sneak.  If  I  was  you,  though,  I  'd  go  up  that  alley 
there,  Brad.  It 's  terrible  public  here." 

"  You  wicked  little  brute,  you !  "  cried  Braddock  in 
horror,  coming  to  his  feet  and  drawing  away  as  if  from 
a  viper.  "  You  cold-blooded  whelp !  I  —  I  never  heard 
of  such  —  " 

"  Ain't  you  going  to  kill  yourself? "  demanded 
Ernie,  grinning. 

Braddock  appeared  to  ponder.  "  No,"  he  said  with 
eager  finality;  "not  just  now.  I've  changed  my 
mind.  I  'm  going  to  have  it  out  with  her  first.  Then, 
maybe  I  won't  do  it  at  all." 

Without  another  glance  at  the  hunchback  he  swung 
off  toward  the  dressing- tent.  Ernie's  scoffing  laugh 
followed  him  into  the  shadows.  It  was  the  last  straw. 
He  was  an  object  of  derision  to  this  thing  of  jibes  and 
sneers. 

The  flush  of  anger  had  come  back  into  his  bloated 
cheeks  by  the  time  he  had  slipped  under  the  sidewall  into 
the  dressing-tent.  A  sense  of  loneliness  struck  him 
with  the  force  of  a  blow  as  he  paused  to  survey  the 
conglomerate  mass  of  gaudy  trappings:  the  men,  the 
women,  the  horses,  the  dye-scented  paraphernalia  of 
the  ring.  The  very  spangles  on  the  costumes  of  these 
one-time  friends  seemed  to  twinkle  with  merriment  at 
the  sight  of  him ;  the  tarletan  skirts  appeared  to  flaunt 
scorn  in  his  face.  There  was  mockery  in  everything. 
His  humiliation  was  complete  when  this  motley  array 
of  people  disdained  to  greet  him  with  the  eager  con- 


THE    SALE 

cern  that  heretofore  had  marked  their  demeanor.  No 
one  appeared  to  notice  him,  further  than  to  offer  a 
curt  nod  or  to  exchange  sly  grins  with  the  others. 

Christine  was  in  the  ring.  Mrs.  Braddock  stood 
over  by  the  tattered  red  curtains,  peering  out  into 
the  "big  top."  He  knew  just  where  to  look  for  her; 
she  always  stood  there  while  her  daughter  was  per 
forming  with  old  Tom  Sacks.  Not  Tom  Braddock, 
but  all  the  others,  noted  the  weary  droop  of  her 
shoulders. 

She  started  violently  when  he  came  up  from  behind 
and  spoke  to  her. 

"  Well,  how  does  it  look  without  the  gentleman  in 
stripes?  "  he  asked  coarsely.  "  It  ain't  so  refined,  eh?  " 

She  faced  him,  hesitated  an  instant,  and  then  said, 
without  a  trace  of  emotion  in  her  voice : 

"  Tom,  do  you  think  Colonel  Grand  would  be  willing 
to  buy  out  my  share  in  the  show?  " 

He  stared.     Then  he  laughed  sardonically. 

"  What  are  you  givin'  us  ?  Buy  out  your  share  ? 
I  should  say  not.  He  might  buy  you,  but  not  your 
share." 

"  You  are  a  beast,  Tom  Braddock,"  she  said,  the  red 
mounting  slowly  to  her  pale  cheek.  "  Why  do  you  say 
that  to  me?  " 

"  Say,  don't  you  suppose  I  know  how  it  stands  with 
you  and  him? "  he  retorted.  "  Come  off,  Mary. 
You  're  both  trying  to  freeze  me  out.  I  'm  on  to  the 
little  game." 

"  Don't  speak  so  loudly,"  she  implored,  clasping  her 
hands. 

"  Oh,  I  'm  not  tellin'  any  secrets,"  he  snarled.  "  It 's 
common  property.  Everybody  's  on.  I  should  think 
you  'd  be  ashamed  to  look  Christine  in  the  face." 

"  God  forgive  you,  Tom  Braddock,"  she  cried,  ab 
ject  horror  in  her  eyes. 


228  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Say,  I  've  got  to  have  an.  understanding  with  you," 
he  went  on  ruthlessly.  "  I  'm  going  to  find  out  j  ust 
how  I  stand  in  this  here  arrangement.  Grand  ?s  taken 
charge  of  the  money  box.  He  says  it 's  you  and  him 
against  me.  He  's  going  to  —  " 

"  He  lies  !     He  lies !  " 

"  Oh,  let  up  —  let  up !     I  'm  no  fool." 

"  Tom  Braddock,  are  you  —  are  you  accusing  me?  " 
she  cried,  all  a-tremble. 

He  opened  his  lips  to  utter  the  words  which  would 
have  ended  everything  between  them.  His  eyes  met 
hers  and  the  words  slipped  back  into  his  throat.  The 
spark  of  manhood  that  was  left  in  him  revolted  against 
this  wanton  assault  upon  the  pure  soul  that  looked  out 
upon  him. 

His  gaze  was  lowered.  He  began  fumbling  in  his 
pocket  for  a  cigar. 

"  Course  not,"  he  said  reluctantly.  He  peered  hard 
at  the  opaque  sidewall,  uncomfortably  conscious  of  the 
scornful  look  she  bent  upon  him.  Neither  spoke  for  a 
long  time. 

"  How  much  lower  can  you  sink?  "  she  asked  in  low 
tones. 

"  Don't  you  turn  against  me  like  this,"  he  returned 
sullenly. 

"  I  have  endured  too  long  —  too  long,"  she  said 
lifelessly. 

"  Now,  shut  up>  Mary.  Shut  up  your  trap.  I  'm 
sick  of  having  you  whining  all  the  time  — 

"  Whining !  "  she  cried.     "  God  in  heaven  !  " 

"  Well,  belly-achin',  then."  Her  bitter  laugh  irri 
tated  him.  "  Say,  I  got  to  talk  this  business  over  with 
you.  We  've  got  to  understand  each  other." 

"  We  do  understand  each  other,"  she  said,  a  note  of 
decision  in  her  voice.  "  You  are  ready  to  prostitute 


THE    SALE  229 

me  for  the  sake  of  worming  money  out  of  that  horrid 
beast.  I  loathe  him.  You  know  it,  and  yet  you  force 
me  to  meet  him.  I  am  going  to  end  it  all.  Either  he 
leaves  this  show,  or  I  do.  I  will  not  endure  this  un 
spoken  but  manifest  insult  a  day  longer.  Do  you  under 
stand  me  ?  " 

•"  J  ^:d  like  to  know  how  you  're  going  to  help  it,"  he 
said,  glaring  at  her  with  half-restored  belligerence. 
"  You  can't  get  out  without  losin'  what  you  've  got  in 
the  business,  and  he  won't  get  out." 

"  Are  you  going  to  permit  him  to  continue  paying 
his  odious  attentions  to  me  —  to  your  wife  ?  "  she 
cried. 

"  I  don't  care  what  Jbe  does,"  roared  Braddock. 
"  That 's  his  business.  You  don't  have  to  give  in  to 
him,  do  you  ?  If  he  thinks  you  've  got  a  price,  that 's 
his  lookout,  not  mine." 

"Not  yours?"  she  gasped.  "  Oh,  Tom!  Tom! 
What  manner  of  man  have  you  come  to  be?  " 

"  Well,  I  'm  just  tellin'  you,  that 's  all." 

"  You  —  you  surely  are  not  in  your  right  mind." 

"  You  bet  I  am !  Now,  you  listen  to  me.  You  are 
going  to  stick  right  with  this  show  —  you  and  Chris 
tine.  And  you  're  going  to  do  what  I  tell  you  to  do. 
You  got  to  treat  Bob  Grand  half-way  decent.  He  's 
liable  to  leave  us  in  the  lurch  any  time.  How  'd  you 
suppose  we  'd  get  on  without  his  help  right  now? 
Just  as  soon  as  we  get  on  our  feet  I  '11  put  an  end  to  his 
funny  business.  I  '11  show  him  what 's  what.  He  '11  get 
out  of  the  show  business  a  heap  sight  wiser  man  than 
he  is  now.  But  we  need  him  now.  We  got  to  stand 
together,  you  and  me.  No  flunking,  see.  We  —  " 

"  Stop ! "  She  stood  before  him  like  an  outraged 
priestess.  This  time  he  did  not  shrink,  but  glared 
back  at  her  balefully.  "  This  is  the  end !  We  have  come 


230  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

to  the  parting  of  the  ways.  I  will  never  call  you 
husband  again.  If  you  even  speak  to  me,  Thomas 
Braddock,  I  shall  ask  any  one  of  a  dozen  men  here  to 
beat  you  as  you  deserve.  Oh,  they  will  be  only  too 
happy  to  do  it !  Now,  hear  me :  I  am  going  to  take 
Christine  away  from  you  —  forever.  Don't  curse  me 
yet!  Wait!  I  am  not  through.  This  very  night  I 
shall  offer  my  share  in  this  show  to  Colonel  Grand.  He 
may  have  it  at  his  own  price.  If  he  will  not  buy,  then 
I  shall  go  forth  and  look  for  another  purchaser. 
I  —  " 

"  You  're  my  wife.  You  can't  sell  without  my  con 
sent,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  Then  I  will  ask  the  court  to  give  me  the  right. 
Now,  go !  I  —  " 

"  You  can't  take  Christine.  She 's  as  much  mine 
as  she  is  —  " 

"  I  will  hear  no  more.  I  have  given  you  the  last 
chance  to  be  a  man.  This  ends  it !  " 

She  turned  and  walked  away  from  him.  He  knew 
that  it  was  all  over  between  them. 

Considerably  shaken,  he  went  over  and  sat  down  on 
a  trunk  near  the  wall.  Suddenly  he  sprang  to  his  feet 
with  a  curious  half-laugh,  half-sob.  He  glared  at  the 
flap  through  which  she  had  disappeared.  A  cunning, 
malevolent  expression  came  into  his  pop-eyes. 

"Sell  out,  will  you?"  he  muttered.  "  I '11  block- 
that  game.  I  '11  sell  out  to  him  myself.  That 's  what 
he  wants." 

He  lifted  the  sidewall  and  passed  out  into  the  open 
air,  directing  his  footsteps  toward  the  ticket-wagon. 
Colonel  Grand  was  leaving  it  as  he  came  up. 

"  Hello,  Brad,"  he  said  quite  genially.  "  If  I  was 
a  bit  rough  awhile  ago,  I  apolo — 

"  Say,    I   want    to   talk    privately   with   you,    right 


THE    SALE  231 

away.  I  've  got  a  proposition  to  make.  It 's  final, 
too,  —  and  it 's  friendly,  so  don't  look  as  if  you  're 
going  to  pull  a  gun  on  me.  Come  on  to  the  hotel. 
Oh,  I  'm  not  as  drunk  as  you  think !  " 

"  Mrs.  Braddock  expects  me  to  escort  her  to  the 
hotel  —  " 

"No,  she  don't,"  rasped  the  other.  "She's  all 
right.  Leave  her  alone.  Are  you  coming?  " 

Colonel  Grand  was  struck  by  the  man's  behavior. 
He  shrewdly  saw  that  something  vital  was  in  the  air. 

"  All  right,"  he  said.     "  I  '11  go  with  you." 

They  were  soon  closeted  in  the  room  back  of  the 
hotel  bar,  a  bottle  between  them  on  the  table.  The 
door  was  locked.  Their  conversation  lasted  an  hour. 
When  Colonel  Grand  arose  to  depart  he  stood  a  little 
behind  and  to  the  left  of  Braddock's  chair,  a  soft,  sar 
donic  smile  on  his  lips.  He  held  a  sheet  of  paper  in  his 
hand.  Pen  and  ink  on  the  table,  alongside  the  more 
sinister  bottle,  told  of  an  act  of  penmanship. 

"  We  '11  have  the  night  clerk  and  some  one  else  witness 
the  signatures,"  he  said  quietly. 

"  All  right,"  said  Braddock  hoarsely.  He  was  star 
ing  at  his  fingers,  which  he  twiddled  in  a  nerveless, 
irresolute  manner. 

"  The  inside  conditions  are  between  you  and  me 
personally.  You  '11  have  to  live  up  to  them,  Braddock." 

"  Oh,  I  'm  a  man  of  my  word,  don't  fret." 

"  You  are  to  get  out  at  the  end  of  the  week.  That 's 
plain,  is  it  ?  " 

"  If  the  cash  is  passed  over.  Don't  forget  that. 
Say,  Bob,  I  swear,  you  're  treating  me  dirt  mean.  I 
ought  to  have  five  times  more  than  you  are  payin'  me, 
and  you  know  it.  Five  thousand  dollars !  Why,  it 's 
givin'  the  show  away,  that 's  what  it  is.  I  've  built 
up  this  here  show  —  " 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  It  is  your  own  proposition.  I  did  n't  suggest 
buying  you  out.  You-  came  to  me  to  sell.  If  you  don't 
want  to  let  it  go  at  the  price  we  've  agreed  on  I  '11 
tear  up  this  bill  of  sale." 

"  I  Ve  got  to  take  it,  so  what 's  the  use  kicking? 
I  'm  going  to  get  out  of  the  business.  My  wife  's 
against  me.  Everybody  is.  Damn  them  all !  " 

Colonel  Grand  knew  quite  well  that  Mrs.  Braddock, 
as  the  man's  wife,  could  interpose  legal  objections  to 
the  transfer,  but  he  was  not  really  buying  Tom's  in 
terest  in  the  show;  he  was  deliberately  paying  him  to 
desert  his  wife  and  child.  That  was  the  sum  and  sub 
stance  of  it.  Braddock  was  not  so  drugged  with  liquor 
that  he  could  not  appreciate  that  side  of  the  transac 
tion  quite  as  fully  as  the  other. 

Down  in  his  besotted  soul  there  lurked  the  hope  that 
some  day,  in  the  long  run,  through  the  wife  whom  he 
was  selling  so  basely,  he  might  succeed  in  obtaining  the 
upper  hand  of  Bob  Grand,  and  crush  him  as  he  was 
being  crushed! 

"  It  will  be  a  week  before  the  currency  can  get  here 
from  Baltimore.  I  refuse  to  draw  on  my  banker  in  the 
regular  way.  This  money,  being  evil,  must  come  from 
an  evil  source.  My  dealers  will  send  it  from  the  '  place.' 
Now,  again,  you  understand  that  I  can  put  you  in  the 
penitentiary  if  you  go  back  on  your  word.  You  did 
take  the  boy's  money  out  of  the  dressing-tent.  My  man 
saw  you." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  hired  a  canvasman  to  watch 
me,"  growled  the  other,  pouring  another  drink. 
"  Mighty  cheap  work,  Bob  Grand." 

"  I  always  go  on  the  principle  that  it  is  n't  safe  to 
have  business  dealings  with  a  man  until  you  know  all 
that  is  to  be  found  out  about  him.  In  your  case  I  had 
to  choose  my  own  way  of  finding  out." 


THE    SALE  233 

"  I  '11  knock  off  a  couple  of  hundred  if  you  '11  tell  me 
the  name  of  that  sneaking  —  " 

"  You  need  the  two  hundred  more  than  I  do,  Brad," 
said  Grand  with  infinite  sarcasm  —  and  finality. 

"  Well,  I  'm  a  Jonah  in  the  show  business.  I  guess 
it 's  the  best  thing  I  can  do  to  get  out  of  it.  You  '11 
do  the  right  thing  by  Mary  and  —  and  —  "  he  swal 
lowed  hard,  casting  a  half  glance  at  the  other  out 
of  his  bleary  eyes  —  "  and  the  young  'un.  They  '11 
get  what's  coming  to  them,  Bob?" 

"  Certainly." 

"  I  would  n't  sell  out  like  this  if  —  if  Mary  had 
acted  decent  by  me,"  he  said,  trying  to  justify  his 
action.  He  was  congratulating  himself  that  he  had 
sold  her  out  before  she  had  the  chance  to  sell  him  out. 
He  closed  his  eyes  to  the  real  transaction  involved  in 
the  deal.  It  gave  him  some  secret  satisfaction,  however, 
to  contemplate  the  futility  of  Colonel  Grand's  designs 
upon  Mary  Braddock. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Bob  Grand. 

"  I  am  going  to  California,"  said  Tom  Braddock, 
for  the  third  time  during  the  interview. 

"  il  've  asked  you  not  to  mention  that  fact  to  me, 
Braddock.  You  are  supposed  to  stay  with  the  show 
as  manager  and  overseer." 

"  Humph !  "  grunted  the  other.  "  You  want  to  be 
as  much  shocked  as  the  rest  of  'em  when  I  skip  by  the 
light  of  the  moon,  eh?  " 

"  We  '11  sign  the  paper,"  was  the  only  response  of 
the  purchaser. 

Ten  minutes  later,  after  two  men  had  witnessed  their 
signatures,  the  document  reposed  in  Bob  Grand's 
pocketbook. 

The  next  morning  Mary  Braddock  appeared  before 
the  master  of  Van  Slye's  Circus  and  offered  her  interest 


234  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

for  sale.  He  calmly  announced  that  he  could  not  afford 
to  put  any  more  money  into  the  concern. 

"  I  must  sell  out,"  she  said.  "  All  the  money  I  have 
in  the  world  is  in  this  show." 

"  It  could  not  be  better  invested,"  he  said.  She 
shrank  from  the  look  in  his  eyes. 

"  But  I  need  it  for  Christine's  education,"  she  began. 

"  I  will  see  to  it  that  Christine  is  given  the  best  of 
everything,  Mary.  Leave  it  to  me.  She  shall  be  sent 
abroad  next  year,  if  you  think  best." 

"  I  am  asking  no  favors  of  you,  Colonel  Grand." 

"  It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  I  have  purchased 
your  husband's  entire  interest  in  this  show,"  he  said 
softly. 

She  stared,  spellbound. 

"  He  —  he  has  sold  out  to  you  ?  "  she  murmured, 
going  white  to  the  lips. 

"  You  seem  surprised." 

"  He  could  not  do  it !  It  is  necessary  to  have  my 
consent.  I  —  I  —  "  Her  brain  was  whirling. 

"  I  understood  that  he  was  a  perfectly  free  agent. 
I  can  send  him  to  the  penitentiary  if  he  has  swindled 
me.  If  you  and  Christine  care  to  take  that  sort  of 
stand  against  him,  I  '11  have  to  do  it.  I  should  be 
terribly  sorry  on  the  girl's  account,  but —  Oh,  well, 
I  'm  sure  it  won't  come  to  that." 

"He  —  he  has  sold  me  out?  "  she  cried  weakly. 

-^Oh,  hardly  that!" 

Unable  to  speak  another  word  to  him,  she  turned  and 
blindly  made  her  way  to  the  women's  dressing-room. 
The  Colonel  smiled  comfortably  as  he  lifted  his  hat  to 
her  retreating  back. 

Late  that  night  four  or  five  persons  slipped  out  of 
the  hotel  by  the  rear  doors.  At  the  mouth  of  the  dark 
alley  a  hack  was  waiting.  With  the  utmost  caution 


THE    SALE  235 

this  small,  closely  huddled  group  approached  the  rickety 
vehicle.  Three  women  climbed  in,  followed  by  numer 
ous  valises  and  small  bags ;  their  two  male  companions 
mounted  the  seat  with  the  driver.  Off  through  the  still 
night  rattled  the  mysterious  cab,  clattering  across  the 
cobbled  streets  for  many  minutes  until  at  last  it  drew 
up  at  the  darkest  end  of  the  railway  station  platform. 
Three  trunks  stood  against  the  wall  of  the  station 
building.  One  of  the  men  attended  to  the  checking  of 
these  heavy  pieces,  presenting  two  railway  tickets  for 
the  guidance  of  the  sleepy  agent.  The  other  stood 
guard  over  the  cab  and  its  occupants. 

A  train  thundered  in.  The  station  platform  was 
quite  deserted  except  for  the  few  belated  revelers  who 
had  remained  in  town  for  the  night  performance  of 
Van  Slye's  circus.  When  the  train  pulled  out,  a  woman 
and  two  men  stood  beside  the  hack,  where  tearful  fare 
wells  had  been  uttered  and  Godspeed  spoken.  Toward 
the  east  sped  a  tall  woman  and  a  slim,  beautiful  girl. 
In  the  outskirts  of  the  town  the  train  swept  past  a 
string  of  huge,  cumbersome,  ghostly  wagons,  all  of 
them  slinking  away  into  the  night-ridden  pike  that  led 
to  another  city  where  the  young  and  curious  were  al 
ready  dreaming  of  the  morning  hours  that  were  to 
bring  the  "  circus  to  town." 

"  Good-by  —  good-by !  "  sobbed  the  girl,  who  had 
been  peering  intently  through  the  window  of  the  car. 
The  tall  woman  did  not  look  forth,  but  sat  with  her 
eyes  riveted  on  the  seat  ahead. 

"  Yes,  it  is  good-by,  my  darling,"  she  said  in  very 
low  tones. 

Back  at  the  railway  station,  after  the  rear  lights  of 
the  train  had  disappeared,  the  lone  woman  turned  her 
tear-stained  face  to  the  man  whose  arm  was  about  her 
shoulder. 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"Do  you  think  we'll  ever  see  them  again,  daddy?" 
she  moaned. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man  huskily.  "  She  said  she  'd  let 
me  know,  one  way  or  another,  when  it  is  safe  to  do  so. 
Don't  cry,  Ruby.  They  're  better  off.  They  could  n't 
'ave  stayed  on,  God  knows.  And  God  will  take  care 
of  'em." 

"I  wish  she'd  said  just  where  she's  really  bound 
for,"  muttered  the  other  man,  a  tall  ungainly  fellow. 
"  She  's  mighty  near  dead-broke,  and  I  'm  —  I  'm  un 
easy,  Joey." 

"  She  '11  get  on,  Casey,  confound  you !  " 

"  If  she  'd  only  make  up  her  mind  to  go  back  to  her 
father,"  said  the  girl. 

"That's  just  it.  If  she's  going  back  to  'im,  it's 
best  nobody  knows  yet  —  not  even  us.  I  've  got  their 
two  letters  for  David,  if  he  ever  comes  looking  them 
up,  as  he  said  he  would.  Well,  God  bless  'em.  I  — 
I  'ates  to  think  wot  the  show  will  be  without  'em.  Come 
on ;  let 's  get  back  to  bed." 

And  so  it  was,  many  days  afterward,  that  David 
Jenison  came  "  looking  them  up,"  only  to  find  that  they 
we*e  gone  and  that  no  one  could  tell  him  whither  they 
had  fled.  It  was  significant  that  Colonel  Bob  Grand 
was  not  with  the  show;  he  had  gone  away  in  a  great 
rage  when  the  discovery  of  the  flight  became  known  to 
him.  Tom  Braddock,  strangely  sobered  and  bleached 
out  by  a  tardy  remorse,  went  about  mechanically  in  the 
management  of  the  show  which  he  no  longer  owned. 

Joey  Grinaldi  delivered  two  precious,  carefully  pre 
served  missives  into  the  hands  of  the  distracted 
Virginian. 

One  of  these  letters  said  that  the  writer  would  wait 
for  him  to  the  end  of  time,  loving  him  always  with  all 
her  heart.  The  other,  much  longer,  came  to  its  con- 


THE    SALE  237 

elusion  with  these  words,  written  by  a  wise,  far-seeing 
woman  whose  heart  was  breaking: 

"...  And  now,  David,  good-by.  We  love  you. 
Be  content  to  let  us  go  temporarily  out  of  your  life, 
if  not  from  your  thoughts  or  your  heart.  Always 
think  of  us  with  love  and  tenderness,  my  dear  boy,  as 
we  shall  never  cease  to  think  of  you.  You  are  young. 
Christine  is  young.  You  are  not  so  wise  now  as  you  will 
be  five  years  hence.  I  shall  try  to  mold  Christine  into 
the  kind  of  woman  you  could  take  as  a  wife  to  Jenison 
Hall.  In  five  years,  God  willing,  the  circus  ring  and 
its  spangles  will  be  so  remotely  removed  from  her  that 
no  one  can  find  the  trace  of  them.  In  five  years,  David. 
That  may  seem  ages  to  you  and  to  her,  who  have  youth 
and  all  of  life  ahead  of  you.  When  five  years  have 
gone  by,  David,  I  shall  let  you  know  where  we  are  to 
be  found.  If  you  still  care  for  her  then,  and  she  for 
you,  no  matter  what  the  circumstances  of  either  may  be, 
no  human  power  can  keep  you  apart.  You  will  come 
to  her  and  say  it  all  over  again,  and  you  will  be  happier 
because  of  this  brief  probation.  If  you  should  find, 
through  the  mature  workings  of  a  man's  heart,  that  you 
have  grown  to  love  another,  then  you  will  both  see  for 
yourselves  that  my  present  course  is  right,  and  that  your 
ways  must  continue,  as  now,  along  absolutely  separate 
paths.  Do  not  attempt  to  find  us.  Your  own  futile 
efforts,  dear  David,  in  that  direction  might  be  the  means 
of  bringing  other  and  unkind  searchers  to  our  place  of 
refuge.  I  know  you  would  not  bring  greater  trial  and 
tribulation  to  us,  who  love  you,  than  you  have  seen 
us  suffer  in  the  past." 


BOOK    TWO 
CHAPTER    I 

THE  DAUGHTER  OF  COLONEL  GRAND 

SNUGGLING  down  in  a  nest  built  of  certain  westward  hills 
in  fair  Virginia,  near  the  head  of  a  valley  long  noted 
for  healing  waters  that  spring,  warm  and  cold,  from 
subterranean  alchemies  into  picturesque  pools  and 
steaming  rivulets,  lies  the  ancient  village  of  Holland- 
ville,  with  its  quaint,  galleried  fa9ades ;  its  flower 
gardens  and  its  mill-race ;  its  ambient  clouds  and 
drowsy  sunshine,  and  the  ever-delicious  somnolence  that 
overcomes  the  most  potent  vigor  with  an  ease  that 
mystifies.  Beyond  Hollandville,  less  than  half  a  league 
distant,  against  the  mountainside,  facing  the  great 
ridge  opposite,  stands  a  time-honored,  time-perfected 
hostelry  inside  whose  walls  and  upon  whose  galleries 
the  flower  and  chivalry  of  Virginia  have  clustered  for 
generations.  Names  historic  are  to  be  found  on  the 
yellow  pages  of  venerable  and  venerated  ledgers  and 
day-books,  names  of  men  and  women  known  and  cher 
ished  before  the  dauntless  settler  had  turned  his  foot 
steps  toward  the  territories  of  the  Middle  West.  Here 
had  come  the  famed  Virginia  and  Maryland  beauties 
of  an  ancient  day,  and  here  still  came  their  great-great- 
granddaughters  to  create  envy  among  the  flowers  that 
steal  from  the  earth  to  bloom  in  this  valley  of  delight. 
Here  came  Washington  and  Jefferson  and  others  whose 
names  will  never  die  so  long  as  there  is  an  American 
heart-beat  among  us ;  came  with  their  coaches,  their 
servants,  their  horses  and  —  their  livers :  for  they  had 


THE    DAUGHTER   OF    COLONEL   GRAND     239 

livers  even  in  those  good  old  days.  If  one  were  to  call 
upon  the  sweet  night  air,  and  spirits  were  allowed  to 
respond,  the  fair  face  of  Dolly  Madison  would  emerge 
from  the  shadows,  attended  by  all  the  wits  and  beauties 
of  her  luxurious  day.  Betty  Junol,  too,  held  court  in 
this  primitive  Spa.  Here  duels  were  fought  for  ladies 
fair,  and  here  the  hearts  of  the  noblest  women  of  our 
land  were  won  by  gallants  who  will  live  forever. 

Beaten  roads  that  stretch  off  down  the  valley  and 
wind  through  the  hills  could  tell  countless  tales  of  those 
who,  in  one  glorious  century,  rode  hand-in-hand  and 
unarmored  to  the  lists  of  love  and  fell  together  in  the 
joyous  combat.  To  this  very  day  the  lists  are  open 
and  the  contenders  as  resolute,  as  gentle  and  as  brave 
as  in  the  ages  when  Washington  was  a  boy  and  men 
wooed  with  a  sword  at  their  hip. 

Still  stand  the  narrow,  thatched  cottages,  immersed 
in  honeysuckle  and  ivy,  that  sheltered  the  fathers  of 
the  Constitution ;  still  wind  the  beaten  roads  over  which 
rolled  their  coaches  in  days  before  the  American  his 
torical  novel  was  more  than  a  remote  probability. 
Heroes  of  a  later  war  than  that  which  gave  us  our 
freedom  come  now  to  this  sequestered  spot,  men  whose 
grandfathers  fought  with  our  George  against  the 
George  of  England.  But,  as  their  forefathers  came, 
still  come  they,  and  will  come  for  generations,  for  this 
is  the  ancient  Mecca  of  Virginia  gentlefolk  to  whom 
tradition  is  treasure  and  companionship  wine. 

Late  in  the  spring  of  1880,  when  the  dogwood  was 
repainting  the  hillsides  and  wild-flowers  were  weaving 
a  new  carpet  of  many  hues  for  the  feet  of  wandering 
lovers,  the  company  of  guests  assembled  at  the  Springs 
—  as  yet  numerically  small  —  included  no  fewer  than  a 
dozen  girls  whose  beauty  was  famed  from  one  side  of  the 
Southland  to  the  other.  Attendant  upon  these  dainty 


240  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

American  princesses,  there  were  again  as  many  young 
men,  rivals  all  for  favors  small. 

A  chill,  moist  wind  of  a  certain  evening  blew  down 
from  the  mist-shrouded  ridge,  driving  all  guests  to 
the  glow  of  the  fireplaces  or  to  the  seclusion  of  coveted 
nooks  in  shadowy  halls,  where  staircases  held  secrets 
as  tenderly  inviolate  now  as  on  the  nights  of  a  dim, 
forgotten  past.  About  the  great  fireplace  in  the  gen 
eral  lounging-room  a  merry  crowd  of  young  people 
were  gathered,  discussing  the  plans  for  a  projected 
trip  to  the  Natural  Bridge,  quite  a  two  days'  journey 
by  coach. 

A  tall,  lean-faced  young  man  of  twenty-three  or 
four  stood  beside  the  fireplace,  his  elbow  on  the  ancient 
mantel,  his  shapely  legs  crossed.  There  was  a  moody 
expression  in  his  handsome  face,  albeit  he  smiled  in 
quiet  enjoyment  of  the  vivacious  conversation  that  went 
on  around  him.  Half  a  dozen  girls  chatted  eagerly, 
excitedly,  in  response  to  certain  arguments  advanced  by 
young  men  who  had  the  expedition  in  hand.  Arrange 
ments  were  being  discussed,  approved  or  set  aside  with 
an  arbitrariness  that  left  no  choice  to  the  proposers. 
From  time  to  time  disputed  questions  were  referred  to 
the  tall  young  man  at  the  mantelpiece.  He  appeared 
to  be  a  person  of  consequence  in  the  eyes  of  all;  his 
decision  was  accepted,  even  by  the  most  arrogant  of 
rebels.  Not  one  of  these  fair  girls  looked  into  his  dark, 
steady  eyes  without  hope  that  the  thought  which  lay 
deep  in  them  was  of  her  and  of  no  other,  and  yet  each 
was  painfully  certain  that  he  thought  of  some  one  else, 
whether  present  or  absent  they  could  not  conceive. 

He  gravely  twisted  the  point  of  a  small,  dark  mus 
tache,  then  in  vogue  among  the  fashionables,  and  prof 
fered  his  suggestions  with  the  quiet  assurance  that 
comes  from  a  thorough  appreciation  of  the  deference 


THE    DAUGHTER   OF  COLONEL  GRAND 

due  the  man  who  is  "  real  quality  "  in  the  Southland, 
and  yet  without  the  faintest  suggestion  of  supercilious 
ness  or  conceit  in  his  manner. 

This  man  was  born  to  it ;  it  had  come  to  him  through 
the  blood  of  unnumbered  ancestors.  He  was  an  aristo 
crat  among  aristocrats,  as  fair  Virginia  produced 
them.  Notwithstanding  he  had  arrived  at  the  Springs 
no  earlier  than  the  forenoon  of  the  day  at  hand,  without 
knowledge  of  previous  plans  regarding  the  expedition, 
he  was  nevertheless  established  by  common  though  un 
spoken  consent  as  the  arbiter  of  all  its  features.  He 
had  come  among  friends  who  knew  him  of  old  —  last 
year,  the  year  before,  and  the  years  before  that. 

For  this  tall  young  man  who  leaned  so  gracefully 
against  the  mantelpiece  was  the  master  of  Jenison  Hall 
—  the  last  of  the  Jenisons.  And  that  was  saying  all 
that  could  be  said,  so  far  as  a  Virginian  was  concerned. 

Their  council  was  disturbed  by  the  arrival  of  the 
belated  night  coach  that  came  over  the  mountains  from 
the  nearest  railway  station.  The  shouts  of  the  driver 
and  the  darky  hostlers,  the  pounding  of  horses'  feet 
in  the  bouldered  yard  below,  the  rush  of  footsteps  across 
the  broad  veranda,  and  the  sudden  opening  of  the  door 
by  an  ebony  porter,  —  all  went  to  divert  the  attention 
of  those  who  waited  eagerly  by  the  fireplace  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  new  arrivals. 

Preceded  by  bags  and  satchels  and  rugs,  there  came 
two  women  out  of  the  drenched  night  into  the  glow  of 
the  firelit  room.  Two  of  the  girls  in  the  circle  stared 
for  a  moment,  and  then,  with  sharp  cries  of  surprise,, 
rushed  over  to  the  desk  where  the  newcomers  stood, 
having  been  conducted  by  the  porters:  two  pretty 
girls  from  Baltimore.  The  group  looked  on  with  in 
terest  while  greetings  were  exchanged. 

The  arrivals  were  persons  of  consequence.  Two 

16 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

French  maids  followed  them  into  the  room  and  stood 
at  the  foot  of  the  staircase,  respectful  but  with  the 
composure  which  denotes  tolerance.  In  those  days  few 
people  in  the  South  presented  an  opulence  extending  to 
French  maids.  The  younger  of  the  two  women  at  the 
desk  was  tall,  slender  and  strikingly  attractive:  of  the 
dashing,  brilliant  type.  She  was  not  more  than  twenty, 
but  there  was  an  easy  assurance  in  her  manner  that  be 
spoke  ages  of  conquest  and  not  an  instant  of  defeat. 
The  elder  was  an  aristocratic  woman  past  middle  age, 
the  possessor  of  cold,  aquiline  features  and  smileless 
eyes.  Her  hair  was  almost  snow  white,  but  her  figure 
was  straight  and  youthful. 

Presently  they  were  conducted  to  their  rooms  by  an 
obsequious  porter,  and  the  young  girls  returned  to  the 
group  at  the  fireside.  There  was  a  common,  ridicu 
lously  casual  movement  among  the  older  people  in  the 
room ;  the  newcomers  were  barely  out  of  sight  in  the 
upper  hall  before  the  first  of  the  curious  ones  was 
looking  over  the  register.  Inside  of  three  minutes  a 
score  of  persons  had  glanced  at  the  freshly  written 
names  and  passed  on  to  the  water  cooler,  thence  back 
to  their  seats,  a  fresh  topic  for  conversation  well  in 
mind. 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  demanded  an  eager  young  man  from 
Richmond. 

The  Baltimore  girls  were  visibly  excited. 

"  I  did  n't  know  they  had  returned  to  this  country, 
did  you,  Nell?  They  've  been  living  abroad  for  several 
years.  Goodness,  how  that  girl  has  blossomed  out. 
I  'd  never  have  known  her  if  she  had  n't  been  with  her 
mother." 

"  Do  you  think  she  's  so  very  pretty  ?  "  enquired  the 
other,  quite  naturally. 

"  She  's  a  dream !  "  cried  the  Richmond  young  man, 


THE    DAUGHTER    OF   COLONEL   GRAND     243 

before  the  other  could  give  her  opinion.  "  But  who  is 
she?  " 

"  Roberta  Grand.     She  's  a  Baltimore  girl  and  —  " 

"  What  name  did  you  say  ?  "  asked  the  tall  young 
man  beside  the  fireplace,  suddenly  interested. 

The  name  was  repeated.  He  listened  to  a  long  dis 
course  on  certain  schoolday  friendships,  succeeded  by 
a  period  of  separation  in  which  the  subject  of  all  this 
interest  had  traveled  abroad  with  her  mother,  complet 
ing  an  education  that,  if  one  were  to  judge  from  the 
descriptions  volunteered  by  her  former  classmates,  gave 
small  promise  in  the  beginning  of  attaining  much  be 
yond  the  commonplace. 

"  She  was  a  dreadfully  stupid  girl  at  Miss  Ralston's," 
proclaimed  Miss  Baltimore.  "  Was  n't  she,  Nell?  " 

"  Indeed  she  was.     She  —  " 

The  master  of  Jenison  Hall  was  staring  across  the 
room  in  the  direction  of  the  register.  He  interrupted 
again. 

"Grand?  Are  there  many  Grands  in  Baltimore?" 
he  asked. 

"  Why  are  you  so  interested,  Dave  ?  "  demanded  one 
of  the  men. 

"  I  once  knew  a  man  from  Baltimore  whose  name 
was  Grand,  that 's  all.  I  'm  wondering  if  she  can 
be  —  " 

"  Her  father  is  Colonel  Robert  Grand.  He 's  the 
great  racehorse  man.  Every  one  knows  him,"  said  one 
of  the  Baltimore  girls. 

"Colonel  Bob  Grand?" 

"  Yes.  Of  course  he  and  Mrs.  Grand  don't  live 
together  any  longer.  They  were  divorced  about  five 
years  ago.  Did  n't  you  see  the  account  of  it  in  the 
Richmond  papers?  It  seems  that  he  ran  off  with  an 
actress  —  to  London,  they  say.  Oh,  I  don't  remember 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    SING 

all  the  details.  Mother  would  n't  let  us  read  the  stuff 
in  the  papers.  But  I  do  remember  that  he  bought  a 
house  in  London  for  the  woman  and  he  never  even 
fought  the  divorce.  He  treated  Mrs.  Grand  shame 
fully,  I  know  that  much.  Father  says  he  is  a  terrible 
man." 

David  Jenison  was  very  pale  and  very  still.  He 
did  not  take  his  eyes  from  the  face  of  the  speaker. 

"  Who  was  this  actress  ?  "  asked  some  one.  He  went 
very  cold.  He  tried  to  close  his  ears  against  a  name 
he  dreaded  to  hear  on  the  lips  of  the  fair  gossip. 

"  I  don't  know.  Some  one  you  never  heard  of.  Just 
a  common,  ordinary  actress,  as  I  remember." 

Jenison  abruptly  left  the  group  and  strode  out  upon 
the  porch,  leaving  the  others  to  puzzle  themselves  over 
his  unexpected  defection. 

In  the  five  years  that  had  passed  since  his  brief  but 
ever  green  experience  with  the  circus  he  had  not  come 
upon  a  single  trace  of  Mary  Braddock  and  Christine. 
With  all  the  impulsiveness  of  boyhood  he  had  at  first 
made  feverish  efforts  to  find  them.  Detectives  in  his 
employ  followed  the  circus  for  several  weeks,  keenly 
alert  to  discover  anything  that  might  put  them  on  the 
track.  Others  shadowed  the  disgruntled  Colonel;  while 
Blake,  his  old  pursuer,  went  to  New  York  and,  rein 
forced  by  agency  men  of  Gotham,  watched  the  home 
of  Albert  T.  Portman.  But  they  had  disappeared  so 
completely  that  every  effort  to  unearth  them  proved 
futile.  David  was  in  college  the  following  winter  when 
he  heard,  through  Dick  Cronk,  that  Colonel  Grand  had 
sold  out  the  circus  to  P.  T.  Barnum,  with  whose  vast 
enterprises  it  was  speedily  amalgamated.  As  the  con 
cern  was  sold  at  private  sale,  by  actual  premeditation, 
Mary  Braddock's  interests  were  undefended.  There 
was  talk  among  the  circus  people,  however,  to  the  effect 


THE    DAUGHTER    OF   COLONEL   GRAND     245 

that  Grand,  after  certain  judgments  had  been  satisfied, 
advertised  throughout  the  country  for  Mrs.  Braddock, 
conveying  to  her  notice  by  this  means  the  fact  that 
he  held  in  his  possession  many  thousand  dollars  be 
longing  to  her.  Whether  this  tempting  bait  found  her 
in  such  dire  distress  that  she  could  not  remain  in  hiding 
while  it  was  being  offered,  no  one  seemed  to  know.  If 
she  had  come  forth  to  claim  her  portion  of  the  proceeds, 
the  fact  remained  unknown  to  the  old  friends. 

Tom  Braddock,  so  David  learned,  forsook  the  show 
soon  after  his  wife's  disappearance,  and  went  to  the 
Middle  West.  From  time  to  time  news  of  him  reached 
David  in  roundabout  ways.  He  had  developed  quite 
naturally  into  a  common  street  loafer  in  Chicago,  prey 
ing  on  the  generosity  of  his  old  acquaintance  and  living 
the  besotted  life  of  a  degenerate.  Of  certain  cheerful 
wights  who  made  up  David's  secret  circle  of  intimates 
we  may  expect  to  hear  more  as  we  go  along.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  he  kept  in  close  touch  with  them  during  his 
years  at  the  University  and  subsequently  as  the  recog 
nized  "  lord  of  the  manor,"  excepting  a  rather  lengthy 
period  devoted  to  travel  abroad.  On  more  than  one 
occasion  he  responded  generously  to  diffident  appeals 
for  help,  coming  from  one  or  the  other  of  his  old  friends. 
He  never  failed  to  contribute  from  his  store  of  wealth, 
for  young  Jenison  was  the  richest  as  well  as  the  kindliest 
planter  in  all  Virginia. 

Jenison  farm  lands  stretched  far  and  wide;  Jenison 
town  property  was  to  be  found  in  no  less  than  five  cities 
of  importance;  Jenison  securities,  as  sound  as  Gib 
raltar,  were  piled  up  in  New  York  vaults,  and  the  Jeni 
son  collection  included  more  than  a  score  of  the  rarest 
paintings  ever  developed  under  the  magic  of  Rembrandt, 
Franz  Hals,  Turner,  Gainsborough,  Velasquez,  Stewart 
and  others. 


24,6  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  was  more  than  a  person  of  landed  importance, 
however.  His  story  was  so  well  known  that  wherever 
he  fared  he  was  hailed  as  a  hero.  In  his  own  sunny 
land  he  was  a  hero-prince  with  as  many  retainers  and 
loyal  subjects  as  ever  bent  knee  to  an  Eastern  medieval 
potentate.  Rich  in  fair  looks  as  well  as  in  worldly 
possessions,  the  owner  of  a  distinctive  charm  of  manner, 
combined  with  the  poise  of  good  breeding,  a  certain 
interesting  reticence  and  a  wonderfully  impelling  smile, 
he  was  more  than  a  hero  to  the  young,  and  little  short 
of  an  idol  to  the  old. 

Countless  assaults  had  been  made  against  his  heart. 
Every  wile  known  to  beauty  had  been  employed  in  a 
hundred  sieges.  But  the  Jack  Snipe  of  eighteen  was 
still  the  lonely  Jack  Snipe  at  twenty-three:  his  heart 
was  sheathed  in  a  love  that  harked  back  to  a  rough, 
picturesque  development  and  was  strong  by  virtue  of 
its  memories. 

At  no  time  in  all  these  spreading  years  had  Christine 
Braddock's  flower-face  and  girlish  figure  faded  from 
his  vision.  On  this  misty  night  in  early  June,  while 
others  were  thinking  of  him,  he  was  thinking  of  her  and 
the  promise  made  five  years  before.  In  five  years,  they 
both  had  said.  The  term  of  probation  was  drawing  to 
an  end.  He  was  waiting  now  for  the  redemption  of 
that  promise. 

Once,  and  once  only,  had  he  heard  from  them,  and 
then  in  the  most  mysterious  way.  Soon  after  his  return 
to  the  University  an  envelope  containing  four  hundred 
dollars  in  crisp  new  bills  was  delivered  to  him  by  Jeff, 
his  body-servant,  who  came  all  the  way  up  from  the 
plantation  to  say  that  it  had  been  left  at  the  Hall  by 
a  man  who  offered  no  explanation  except  that  his  master 
would  understand. 

No  day  passed  that  he  did  not  look  for  some  sign 


THE    DAUGHTER    OF   COLONEL   GRAND     247 

from  Mary  Braddock.  She  had  promised,  and  he  knew 
that  she  would  not  fail  him.  His  mind  was  charged  with 
the  wildest  speculations.  What  would  be  the  nature  of 
the  resurrection?  What  word  would  come  from  the 
present  to  greet  the  past?  From  what  mysterious  hid 
ing-place  would  come  the  call?  Even  now,  at  this  very 
instant,  from  some  far-away  spot  in  the  great  wide 
world  a  voice  might  be  winging  its  way  to  him.  What 
tidings  were  in  the  air? 

What  word  of  the  girl  he  loved? 

And  now,  like  an  icy  blast,  came  the  appalling  pos 
sibility  that  the  world  knew  more  of  Mrs.  Braddock's 
whereabouts  and  actions  than  he,  who  was  so  vitally 
interested.  The  word  "  actress  "  as  supplied  by  the 
contemptuous  Baltimore  girl  conveyed  to  his  soul  a 
sharp,  sickening  dread.  Was  Mary  Braddock  the  one? 
Had  she  given  way  under  the  strain?  Had  circum 
stance  cowed  her  into  submission?  Was  she  the  one 
who  occupied  the  little  house  in  London-town? 

If  so,  what  of  Christine? 

He  smoked  as  he  paced  the  long  veranda.  In  a  dark 
corner  at  the  lower  end,  sheltered  from  the  mist  by 
trailing  arbutus,  a  group  of  three  persons  from  the 
inexperienced,  uncouth  North,  were  drinking  juleps 
served  by  an  impassive  but  secretly  disdainful  servant 
bent  with  age  and,  you  might  say,  habitual  respect. 
Jenison  did  not  notice  them  in  his  abstraction,  but  his 
ears  would  have  burned  if  he  could  have  heard  the  things 
the  two  women  were  saying  about  him  to  their  male 
companion. 

As  he  passed  the  broad  office  door  in  one  of  his  rounds 
it  was  opened  and  in  the  full  glow  of  light  from  within 
appeared  the  tall;  graceful  figure  of  Roberta  Grand. 
She  remained  there  for  a  moment,  looking  out  into  the 
sombre  night.  Their  eyes  met  as  he  passed.  She  was 


248  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

exceedingly  fair  to  look  upon,  golden -haired  and 
spiritut  le,  but  he  could  see  only  the  repulsive,  hated 
features  of  Colonel  Bob  Grand,  destroyer. 

When  he  returned  to  the  group  at  the  fireplace,  half 
an  hour  later,  she  was  sitting  with  the  others,  her  back 
toward  him  as  he  approached.  He  was  at  once  pre 
sented  by  the  girl  from  Baltimore. 

Miss  Grand  looked  up  into  his  face  with  cool,  in 
different  eyes. 

"  I  have  heard  so  much  of  you,  Mr.  Jenison,"  she 
said.  Her  voice  was  soft  and  pleasant. 

"  We  live  in  a  very  small  world,  Miss  Grand,"  he 
said.  "  One's  reputation  reaches  farther  than  he 
thinks." 

"  It  depends  om  the  method  by  which  it  is  carried," 
she  responded  enigmatically.  He  started. 

"  I  trust  mine  has  been  delivered  by  kindly  mes 
sengers." 

"  Both  kindly  and  gentle,"  she  said. 

"  Some  girl,  I  '11  bet,"  remarked  one  of  the  young 


men. 
tt 


Not  so  singular  as  that,  Mr.  Priest.  The  plural 
is  '  girls,'  "  said  Miss  Grand. 

"  I  am  relieved,"  said  David.  "  It 's  much  easier  to 
understand  the  plural  of  girl.  Girl  in  the  first  person 
singular  is  incomprehensible." 

"  Do  you  really  think  so  ?  "  asked  Miss  Grand  calmly. 
He  bowed  very  low  and  said  no  more.  It  occurred  to 
him  in  a  flash  that  this  fair  girl  knew  more  of  him,  in 
a  way,  than  any  one  present. 

Later  on,  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  she  came  up  with 
him.  Without  the  slightest  trace  of  embarrassment  she 
remarked : 

"  I  think  you  knew  my  father,  Mr.  Jenison." 

He  flushed  in  some  confusion.  "  Your  father  is  Colo 
nel  Robert  Grand?" 


"  Yes.  It  was  he  who  told  me  your  story,  long  ago. 
I  have  always  been  interested." 

David  hesitated  for  an  instant,  then  boldly  put  his 
question :  "  May  I  ask  where  Colonel  Grand  is  at 
present?  I  hear  you  no  longer  live  in  Baltimore/' 

It  was  a  very  direct  attack,  but  he  justified  himself 
through  the  impression  that  she  invited  it. 

**  We  live  in  Washington,  Mr.  Jenison,  my  mother 
and  I.  My  father's  home  is  in  New  York.  Some  time, 
while  we  are  here,  I  hope  you  won't  mind  telling  me 
something  of  your  experiences  with  the  —  the  circus. 
My  father  often  spoke  of  you.  He  said  they  called 
you  —  was  it  Jack  Snipe?  " 

David  was  taken  aback.  The  girl's  frankness  amazed, 
unsettled  him. 

"  A  name  given  me  by  one  of  the  performers,"  he 
murmured. 

"  The  proprietor's  daughter,  Christine  Braddock. 
Oh,  you  must  not  be  surprised.  I  know  her." 

"  You  know  her  ?  "  he  asked  quickly. 

"  That  is,  I  once  knew  her.  She  came  out  to  my 
father's  stables  years  ago  to  practice  her  riding.  I 
used  to  envy  her  so !  You  see,  I  wanted  to  be  a  circus 
rider."  She  laughed  very  frankly. 

*'  Do  you  know  what  has  become  of  her?  "  he  asked, 
risking  everything.  He  watched  carefully  to  catch  the 
expression  in  her  face. 

"  No,"  she  replied,  hesitating.  "  I  have  not  seen  my 
father  since  our  return  from  Europe." 

The  words  were  ominous.  He  experienced  a  sinking 
sensation. 

She  continued :  '*  I  supposed  that  you  knew  some 
thing  of  our  family  history,  Mr.  Jenison."  He  looked 
sufficiently  blank.  ""My  father  and  mother  lead'  abso 
lutely  separate  lives.  It  happened  four  years  ago. 
Perhaps  you  have  forgotten." 


250  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  did  not  hear  of  it  at  the  time,  Miss  Grand," 
he  explained. 

"  We  have  lived  abroad  ever  since.  So,  you  see,  I 
have  had  little  or  no  opportunity  to  talk  with  my 
father.  We  write  to  each  other,  of  course,  but  letters 
are  not  like  talks.  I  am  to  visit  him  next  month  in 
New  York.  I  can  hardly  wait  for  the  time  to  come." 
She  was  now  speaking  rapidly,  eagerly.  "I  —  I  don't 
believe  that  all  the  things  they  said  about  him  in  the 
newspapers  were  true.  My  mother's  lawyers  brought 
up  everything  they  could  think  of,  whether  it  was  true 
or  not.  You  see —  Oh,  you  don't  mind  hearing  me 
talk  like  this,  do  you?  "  She  interrupted  herself  to 
insert  this  question. 

He  hastened  to  assure  her  that  she  might  speak  freely 
to  him,  and  with  perfect  confidence  in  his  discretion. 
But,  he  suggested,  it  would  be  better  if  they  were  to 
continue  the  conversation  in  a  place  less  conspicuous. 
He  led  her  to  a  distant  corner  of  the  room,  where  they 
might  be  quite  free  from  interruption.  Her  peculiar 
attitude  interested  and  disturbed  him.  It  was  quite 
plain,  from  a  single  remark  of  hers,  that  her  sympathies 
were  with  her  father,  although  she  had  remained  at  her 
mother's  side. 

"  You  knew  my  father  quite  well,  did  n't  you,  Mr. 
Jenison?  He  has  often  told  me  of  the  close  friendship 
that  existed  between  you  in  those  days,  how  he  tried  to 
help  you  and  how  appreciative  you  were." 

David  concealed  his  astonishment. 

"  They  were  wretched  days  for  me,"  he  said  evasively. 

"  I  am  sure  you  would  n't  believe  all  the  horrid 
things  they  said  about  him,  knowing  him,  as  you  did, 
for  a  kindly,  honorable  gentleman.  My  mother  was 
desperate,  Mr.  Jenison.  She  believed  everything  the 
lawyers  put  into  her  head.  Of  course,  I  understand 


THE   DAUGHTER   OF   COLONEL  GRAND    251 

now  wky  it  was  so  necessary  to  blacken  his  character. 
It  was  for  the  money  — » the  alimony,  they  call  it.  And, 
more  than  that,  it  was  to  compel  the  court  to  give  me 
into  her  custody.  I  had  no  choice  in  the  matter,  it 
seems,  in  spite  of  the  law  which  says  a  child  may  elect 
for  herself  after  she  is  fourteen.  They  made  it  so 
dreadful  for  him,  that  he  could  not  take  me,  although 
I  would  have  gone  with  him,  oh,  so  gladly.  I  — " 
She  stopped  short. 

He  waited  for  a  moment,  appalled  by  this  undis 
guised  antipathy  to  the  mother,  who,  as  he  knew  so  well, 
had  been  wronged  beyond  measure  by  the  beast  whom 
the  girl,  in  her  ignorance,  defended. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Grand,"  he  said,  "  I  am  more  than 
sorry  if  any  rude  inquisitiveness  on  my  part  has  led 
you  to  —  " 

"  Oh,  I  want  to  talk  about  it  to  you,"  she  interrupted 
with  a  directness  that  made  him  more  uncomfortable 
than  ever.  "  I  know  that  you  knew  my  father  for  what 
he  really  was.  You  knew  how  kind  and  good  he  was, 
and  how  nobly  he  befriended  the  Braddocks  and  all 
those  wretched  show  people.,  You,  know  how  they 
treated  him  in  return  for  his  generosity.  I  feel  as  if 
I  had  known  you  always." 

"  It 's  very  nice  of  you,"  he  mumbled  helplessly. 
*'  You  say  the  show  people  turned  against  him.  Do  you 
mean  at  the  —  er  —  the  trial  ?  " 

She  lifted  her  brows,  a  sudden  coldness  in  her  manner. 

"  Not  at  ah1.     I  refer  to  what  happened  afterward." 

"  I  am  quite  ignorant,  Miss  Grand,"  he  said,  a  cer 
tain  hoarseness  creeping  into  his  voice. 

"  He  was  actually  compelled  to  pay  something  like 
twenty  thousand  dollars  on  the  complaint  of  Mary 
Braddock,  who  set  up  the  claim  that  she  owned  part  of 
the  show.  It  was  a  blackmailing  scheme,  pure  and 


252  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

simple,  but  he  paid  it.  He  is  a  man.  He  took  his  medi 
cine  like  one." 

David  glowed.  He  felt  the  blood  surge  to  his  head ; 
he  grew  warm  with  suppressed  joy. 

"When  did  this  happen?"  he  asked,  the  tremor  of 
eagerness  in  his  voice. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  remember  —  three  or  four  years  ago. 
It  really  never  came  to  a  public  trial.  He  settled  her 
infamous  claim  out  of  court.  Her  lawyers  hounded  him 
as  if  he  were  a  rat." 

"  I  happen  to  know  that  Mrs.  Braddock  was  part 
owner  in  the  show,"  he  said  quietly. 

"  But  he  had  already  bought  her  out,"  she  exclaimed. 
"  He  wrote  all  of  this  to  me,  after  it  came  out  in  the 
papers.  I  had  the  whole  story  from  him,  just  as  it 
really  happened.  No,  Mr.  Jenison,  he  was  compelled 
to  pay  twice." 

He  was  half  smiling  as  he  looked  into  her  face.  The 
smile  died,  for  he  saw  in  the  features  of  Bob  Grand's 
daughter  a  startling  resemblance  to  the  man  himself, 
hitherto  unnoted  but  now  quite  assertive.  A  moment 
before  he  had  thought  her  pretty;  now  he  realized 
that  he  had  scarcely  looked  at  her  before.  There  was 
the  same  beady,  intent  gleam  in  her  dark  eyes,  which 
were  set  quite  close  to  each  other  over  a  straight  nose 
with  rather  flat  nostrils.  Her  mouth  and  chin  were 
unlike  Grand's.  They  were  perfect,  they  were  beau 
tiful.  The  eyes  were  unmistakably  his,  and  therefrom 
peered  the  character  of  the  girl  as  well  as  that  of  the 
man. 

David  was  sharply  cognizant  of  a  feeling  of  repug 
nance.  Much  that  had  puzzled  him  a  moment  before 
was  perfectly  plain  to  him  now.  She  championed  the 
father  because  he  had  been  stronger  in  her  creation 
than  the  mother. 


THE    DAUGHTER   OF   COLONEL   GRAND    253 

"  Did  Mrs.  Braddock  prosecute  her  claim  in  per 
son?  "  he  asked,  subduing  the  impulse  to  set  his  friend 
right  in  the  eyes  of  this  girl. 

"  Not  at  all.  She  kept  out  of  sight.  Lawyers  did 
it  all." 

"  Did  your  father  say  where  she  was  living  at  the 
time?" 

"  Oh,  I  know  where  she  was  living  in  London." 

"  London?  "    he  said,  suddenly  cold. 

"  Yes.  We  saw  her  there,  Centennial  year.  She 
had  a  home  in  one  of  those  nice  little  West  End  streets. 
Of  course,  we  could  have  nothing  to  do  with  her." 

"  Of  course  not,"  murmured  he  dumbly.  "  And 
Christine?  " 

"  She  was  at  the  Sacred  Heart  Convent  in  Paris,  — 
at  school,  you  know.  Father  wrote  me  about  her." 

He  could  not  ask  her  the  sickening  question  that 
was  in  his  mind:  was  Mary  Braddock  the  woman  in 
the  case?  But  his  heart  was  cold  with  despair.  He 
could  not,  would  not  believe  it  of  her,  and  yet  the  cir 
cumstances  were  damnably  convincing. 

"  In  a  month,  Mr.  Jenison,  I  will  be  of  age.  I  am 
sure  that  you,  having  been  such  a  friend  to  him,  will 
be  glad  to  know  that  I  am  going  to  him.  If  he  wants 
me,  I  shall  stay  with  him." 

"  You  —  you  will  leave  your  mother  ?  "  he  demanded, 
unconsciously  drawing  back  in  his  chair. 

"  Just  because  my  mother  cast  him  out  is  no  reason 
why  I  should  do  likewise.  I  love  my  father  —  I  adore 
him!  What  did  you  say?" 

Under  his  breath  he  had  uttered  the  word  "  God !  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said  hurriedly  He  felt 
like  cursing  h»r.  "  I  just  happened  to  think  of  some 
thing,"  he  explained. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  have  bored  you.     I  thought  you  'd 


254  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

like  to  know  about  father  after  all  these  years.  Pray 
forgive  me." 

"  You  intimated  awhile  ago  that  perhaps  he  could  tell 
me  where  Mrs.  Braddock  is  living,"  he  said.  His  fore 
head  was  covered  with  moisture. 

"  I  've  no  doubt  he  knows,  Mr.  Jenison.  She  is  liv 
ing  in  New  York." 

She  was  perfectly  calm  and  matter-of-fact  about  it. 
If  there  was  more  that  she  could  have  told  him,  her  in 
scrutable  smile  signified  plainly  that  it  should  be  left 
for  him  to  find  out  for  himself. 

He  looked  into  her  eyes  for  a  moment  without  speak 
ing.  A  feeling  of  loathing  such  as  he  had  never  known 
before  welled  up  in  his  heart  against  this  girl.  He 
hated  the  sight  of  her  face.  He  almost  imagined  he 
could  see  its  soft,  warm  tints  changing  subtly  into  the 
gray,  putty-like  complexion  of  his  oldtime  enemy.  A 
beastly  jowl  seemed  suddenly  to  spread  from  her 
smooth  round  cheek  and  sag  heavy  over  her  neck;  her 
smile,  bewitching  to  other  eyes  than  his,  took  on  a 
mysterious  breadth  that  horrified  him.  He  was  see 
ing  visions.  He  knew  that  there  was  no  change  such 
as  his  mind  pictured,  and  yet  he  could  not  cast  out 
the  illusion.  He  arose  abruptly,  fearful  that  she  might 
see  the  repugnance  in  his  eyes.  He  could  not  sit 
there  an  instant  longer,  facing  this  reminder  of  Bob 
Grand.  Something  atavistic  in  his  nature  urged  him  to 
strike  out  with  all  his  strength  at  the  fantastic  face  that 
forced  itself  upon  him. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  sounded 
queer  in  his  own  ears,  "  but  I  must  get  off  some  letters 
to-night.  May  I  take  you  to  the  stairs?  " 

A  few  minutes  later  he  was  lying  flat  on  his  back, 
fully  dressed,  on  the  bed  in  his  chamber,  staring  up  at 
the  ceiling,  his  brain  a  chaos  of  anguish,  dread,  pity 


THE   DAUGHTER   OF   COLONEL   GRAND    255 

—  and  faith,  after  all,  in  Mary  Braddock.  The  walls 
seemed  papered  with  the  faces  of  Bob  Grand  and 
Rolwrta  Grand.  He  was  haunted  by  them. 

At  daybreak  he  arose,  without  a  single  instant  of 
sleep  behind  him.  His  mind  was  made  up  to  one 
purpose.  He  could  not  stay  in  the  same  house  with 
Roberta  Grand. 

Before  going  in  to  breakfast  at  eight  o'clock,  one  of 
the  young  men  in  the  party  of  the  night  before  asked 
the  clerk  at  the  desk  if  Mr.  Jenison  had  come  down. 

"  Mr.  Jenison  left  by  the  morning  stage,  Mr.  Scott. 
He  had  a  letter  calling  him  back  to  Jenison  Hall. 
Something  very  important,  sir.  He  left  a  note  for 
Miss  Beaumont,  I  believe,  to  tell  her  he  can't  be  back 
in  time  for  the  trip  to  Natural  Bridge." 


CHAPTER    H 

THE    STRANGER    AT    THE    HALL 

THE  letter  that  called  David  to  Jenison  Hall  came, 
by  curious  coincidence,  at  a  most  opportune  time.  He 
had  decided  to  leave  the  Springs  within  a  day  or  two, 
cutting  short  his  proposed  stay  of  a  month  almost  at 
its  beginning.  The  advent  of  Roberta  Grand,  hereto 
fore  an  unknown  quantity,  brought  with  it  new  and 
unpleasant  complications.  Her  revelations  disturbed 
him,  her  attitude  angered  and  disgusted  him.  It  was 
from  this  girl,  so  amazingly  like  her  father,  that  he 
would  have  fled  in  any  event.  His  nature  revolted 
against  the  possibility  of  constant  association  with 
her,  he  scarcely  could  have  maintained  even  a  per 
functory  show  of  consideration  for  her.  And  then 
something  told  him  that  her  confidences  would  grow, 
that  she  would  go  farther  in  the  effort  to  justify  her 
father.  He  realized  that  he  could  not  stand  by  and 
hear  the  things  she  doubtless  would  feel  called  upon  to 
say  in  respect  to  Mary  Braddock.  His  sleepless  night 
had  drawn  many  ugly  pictures  for  him  to  efface  before 
he  could  be  at  peace  with  himself. 

All  through  that  dismal  night  he  had  given  his 
thoughts  to  these  people,  and  to  three  cities,  —  Lon 
don,  Paris  and  New  York. 

In  the  last  of  these,  Mary  Braddock  was  living. 
Staring  up  at  the  dim,  flickering  shadows  on  the  ceil 
ing,  he  traveled  in  horrid  conjecture  from  one  to  the 
other  of  these  immense  wildernesses.  Ahead  of  him 
stalked  the  ugly  figure  of  Robert  Grand,  who  knew  — 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL   857 

who  perhaps  had  known  all  the  time ;  at  his  side  was  the 
knowledge  that  the  five  years  had  come  to  an  end. 
Was  Mary  Braddock,  after  all,  in  a  position  to  re 
deem  her  promise? 

The  candle  sputtered  and  went  out.  But  he  was 
no  more  in  the  dark  than  he  had  been  all  along.  If 
there  was  to  be  light,  he  must  make  it  for  himself. 
He  would  not  wait  for  her  to  speak  out  of  the  dark 
ness.  He  would  search  her  out,  come  what  may;  he 
would  claim  Christine. 

With  his  mind  full  of  the  decision  to  go  to  New  York 
as  soon  as  possible,  where  it  would  be  an  easy  matter 
to  find  Colonel  Grand,  at  least,  he  hurried  down  to  an 
early  breakfast,  successfully  evading  his  body-servant. 
There  were  two  letters  in  his  box,  products  of  the  night 
mail. 

One  of  them  caused  him  to  start  and  almost  cry  out 
aloud.  It  was  from  Artful  Dick  Cronk.  The  envelope 
bore  the  Jenison  crest  and  it  had  come  from  Jenison 
Hall.  A  year  had  passed  since  he  had  heard  from  the 
pickpocket. 

The  missive  was  brief,  as  were  all  of  Dick's  com 
munications,  written  or  oral.  It  said :  "  Just  stopped 
off  on  my  way  north.  Niggers  say  you  are  at  the 
Springs.  I  '11  wait  here  till  you  come  back,  if  it  ain't 
too  long.  Hope  this  reaches  you  prompt,  because  I  am 
in  a  hurry  to  get  up  to  New  York.  Don't  write.  You 
can  get  here  just  as  quick  as  a  letter.  Maybe  quicker." 

Except  for  the  schoolboyish  signature,  that  was  all; 
but  there  was  a  world  of  importance  between  the  laconic 
lines.  David  caught  the  early  morning  stage  and  was 
on  his  way  over  the  ridge  to  the  railroad  with  old 
Jeff,  before  eight  o'clock. 

He  reached  home  that  night,  surprising  the  house 
keeper  and  servants.  To  his  amazement,  they  knew 

17 


258  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

absolutely  nothing  of  Dick  Cronk.  He  had  not  been 
there,  nor  any  one  answering  to  the  description.  David 
was  thunderstruck.  He  carefully  examined  the  letter, 
which  he  had  retained.  There  could  be  no  mistake 
as  to  the  stationery  or  the  postmark.  He  went  to 
his  room,  gravely  mystified  by  the  circumstance.  & 
messenger  was  sent  post  haste  to  the  village  hard 
by,  with  instructions  to  find  Dick  if  he  were  at  either 
of  the  boarding-houses.  The  master  of  Jenison  Hall 
could  not  help  chuckling  to  himself  in  contemplation  of 
the  crafty  tricks  the  writer  of  the  letter  had  em 
ployed  in  securing  his  information  and  in  appropri 
ating  stationery. 

It  was  nearly  eleven  o'clock  when  the  darky  boy  re 
turned  with  the  word  that  no  one  fitting  the  descrip 
tion  had  been  seen  in  the  village. 

"  But  he  must  be  there,"  said  the  young  master, 
vastly  perplexed  and  not  a  little  annoyed. 

"  Yas,  sah,"  agreed  the  darky,  not  for  a  moment 
questioning  the  assertion  that  fell  from  his  master's 
lips.  If  "  Marse  David  "  said  he  was  there,  he  was  there ; 
that  is  all  there  could  be  to  it.  "  He  suttinly  mus' 
be  thah,  sah.  But  I  'spec's  he  mussa  fo'got  to  tell 
anybody  'bout  hit,  sah." 

"  Ask  Jeff  to  call  me  early  in  the  morning,  Pete," 
said  David.  "  Good  night." 

"  Good  night,  Marse  David." 

The  boy  went  out,  gently  closing  the  door  behind 
him.  Almost  instantly  it  was  reopened. 

"  What  now,  Pete?  "  demanded  David,  who,  with  his 
back  to  the  door,  was  advancing  to  the  mahogany 
bureau  across  the  room.  He  came  in  line  with  the 
tall  mirror  that  surmounted  the  chest  of  drawers.  His 
fingers  stopped  suddenly  in  the  light  task  of  removing 
a  pin  from  his  scarf. 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL   259 

Just  inside  the  door  stood  Artful  Dick  Cronk,  a 
genial  smile  reflecting  itself  in  the  mirror  which  con 
fronted  the  other.  David  stared  unbelievingly  for  a 
few  seconds  and  then  whirled  to  face  the  —  but  it 
was  not  an  apparition* 

The  lean,  cunning  visage  of  the  pickpocket  was 
illumined  by  the  never-to-be-forgotten  smile  of  guile- 
lessness  that  so  ably  stood  him  in  hand  in  moments  of 
peril.  The  humor  of  it  gradually  succumbed  to  the 
satirical  leer  that  always  came  to  translate  his  strange 
sophistry  into  something  more  expressive  than  mere 
words.  He  was  plainly  enjoying  the  effect  of  his  magic 
invasion.  To  make  the  puzzle  all  the  more  startling, 
Mr.  Cronk  was  attired  in  one  of  David's  loose  dressing- 
gowns.  He  wore  a  pair  of  comfortable  slippers  and  he 
smoked  David's  picturesque  Algerian  pipe.  A  pic 
ture  of  domestic  contentment  was  he.  You  might  have 
taken  him  to  be  the  owner  of  the  house,  and  not  the 
sly  intruder. 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  my  room?  "  Dick  demanded, 
assuming  an  air  of  severity. 

David's  astonishment  gave  way  to  a  hearty  laugh. 
He  advanced  with  his  hand  extended. 

"  Well,  you  do  beat  the  world,"  he  exclaimed.  "  In 
the  name  cf  heaven,  where  did  you  come  from?  " 

They  shook  hands.  Dick's  sprightly  face  presented 
a  myriad  of  joyous  wrinkles. 

"  Wifere  did  I  come  from,  kid  —  I  should  say,  Mr. 
Jenison?  I  —  " 

"  Call  me  David,"  interrupted  the  other. 

"  Sure !  Come  from  ?  Take  a  seat,  kid.  You  are 
my  guest  for  the  evening.  Make  yourself  at  home. 
I  've  got  a  couple  of  toddies  planted  here  behind  the 
dresser.  You  see,  I  was  expectin'  you."  He  went  over 
and,  reaching  down  behind  the  bureau,  came  up  with 


260  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

two  toddy  glasses  in  which  the  ice  clinked  cheer 
ily.  "  I  made  'em  just  before  you  came  in,"  he  ex 
plained.  David  passed  his  hand  across  his  brow. 
Then  he  accepted  one  of  the  glasses  from  the  pseudo 
host. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  were  in  this  room 
all  the  time  I  sat  over  there  waiting  —  " 

Dick  put  his  finger  to  his  lips.  "  Sh !  Not  so  loudr 
please.  I  'm  not  really  supposed  to  be  here,  you  know. 
Just  think  what  heart  disease  would  do  to  the  wooly 
old  boy  that  runs  the  front  door  if  he  heard  you  talk 
ing  to  me  at  this  time  o'  night.  I  'm  glad  to  see  you, 
David.  You  got  my  letter,  I  see.  Well,  well,  it  '& 
wonderful  what  a  two-cent  stamp  '11  do  sometimes.  A 
postage  stamp  is  the  greatest  detective  I  know  of. 
I  've  had  'em  find  me  time  and  again,  right  off  the  real,, 
when  twenty  plain-clothes  men  could  n't  get  a  smell 
of  me  to  save  their  souls.  Sit  down,  David.  Make 
yourself  at  home.  It 's  good  to  see  you  here,  old  chap» 
I  'm  sorry  you  must  be  leaving  so  soon." 

"  Leaving  so  soon?  " 

"  Yep.  You  're  going  away  to-morrow."  He  was 
sitting  now,  with  his  long  legs  crossed,  leaning  lazily 
back  in  the  lounging  chair  at  the  end  of  David's  desk. 

"Don't  talk  in  riddles,  Dick.  What's  up?  And 
how  do  you  happen  to  be  here,  occupying  my  house 
without  the  knowledge  of  my  servants  ?  " 

"  A  simple  question,  with  a  simple  answer.  I  've 
been  here  two  days  and  two  nights,  right  here  in  the 
house.  My  bedchamber  is  down  the  hall  there,  and  this 
has  been  my  lounging  room.  Of  course,  I  had  my  meals 
in  the  dining-room  —  my  after- the- theater  suppers,  you 
might  say.  It 's  been  good  fun,  foolin'  the  servants. 
I  hope  you  don't  mind  my  fakin'  grub  from  your 
larder, -kid.  "I  used  to  sit  around,  unbeknownst  to  the 


niggers,  and  listen  to  them  talk  about  spirits  and 
ghosts  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  It  was  most  amusin'. 
They  could  n't  account  for  the  disappearance  of  pies 
and  cakes  and  Sally  Lunn  —  say,  how  I  do  love  Sally 
Lunn.  And  jam,  too.  To  say  nothin'  of  fried  chicken. 
Say !  I  've  been  living  like  a  prince,  kid.  Sleepin' 
in  a  real  bed  and  hangin'  around  in  swell  toga  like 
these.  Say !  You  do  know  how  to  live,  David.  You  'd 
have  been  very  much  entertained  half  an  hour  ago  if  you 
could  have  seen  me  swipe  a  Washington  pie  and  a  quart 
of  milk  right  out  from  under  the  nose  of  old  Aunt 
Fanny.  Milk  is  my  favorite  beverage,  David.  You 
notice  I  'm  not  drinkin'  this  fire-water.  I  made  two  of 
'em  for  company's  sake>,  but  I  still  turn  my  back  on  the 
wine  when  it 's  pink.  Not  for  me  —  not  for  little 
Dicky-bird." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  do  it,  Dick,"  cried  David 
delightedly. 

"  That 's  part  of  my  game,  kid  —  not  letting  people 
see  how  I  do  anything.  But  it 's  as  simple  as  rollin' 
off  a  log,  as  the  jays  say.  I  must  confess  —  and  that 
is  something  I  make  it  a  rule  never  to  do  —  that  this 
high  living  is  not  good  for  me.  I  '11  get  into  awful 
habits,  if  I  keep  it  up.  I  won't  be  satisfied  with  pret 
zels  and  bologny  sausages.  Seems  to  me  I  feel  a  touch 
of  the  gout  coming  on  now." 

"  You  will  have  breakfast  with  me  in  the  dining- 
room  to-morrow  morning,  Dick,"  announced  the  master 
of  the  house.  "  It  won't  be  necessary  to  swipe  it,  as 
you  call  it." 

Dick  grinned.  "  My  dear  chap,"  he  mimicked,  "  I 
have  my  breakfast  stowed  away  in  the  garret  at  this 
minute.  Never  put  off  till  to-morrow  what  you  ought 
to  do  to-day.  In  time  of  plenty  prepare  for  famine. 
Still,  if  you  insist,  I  '11  j  oin  you  at  some  ham  and  eggs 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

—  and  coffee.  I  do  miss  my  coffee,  old  chap.  We 
take  a  train  for  Richmond  at  nine  A.  M." 

David's  patience  gave  out.  "  What  does  it  all  m«*n, 
Dick?  I  must  know  at  once.  It  must  be  important  »r 
you  would  n't  —  " 

"  Maybe  it 's  important  and  maybe  it  ain't,"  philoso 
phized  Dick,  relighting  the  long  pipe. 

"  Well,  let 's  have  it." 

"  Tom  Braddock  's  out." 

"  Out?     I  don't  understand." 

Dick's  surprise  was  genuine.  "  You  don't  mean  to 
say  you  never  heard  what  happened  to  him  ?  " 

u  Joey  wrote  me  that  he  had  gone  completely  to  the 
dogs  in  Chicago." 

"  Joey 's  off  his  nut.  Brad 's  just  out  of  Sing 
Sing." 

"  Sing  Sing!    The  penitentiary?  " 

"  The  sure-enough  cooler.  He  's  been  there  for  nearly 
three  years." 

"  Christine's  father  a  convict ! "   groaned  David. 

"  As  I  said  before,  he  's  out.  It  may  interest  you 
to  know  that  I  spent  a  year's  vacation  up  there  in  '78. 
I  needed  the  rest,  old  chap.  Brad  came  in  shortly  after 
I  got  settled.  He  had  been  in  Chicago  for  two  years, 
boning  his  friends  and  living  like  a  gutter-snipe.  We 
spent  most  of  our  evenings  at  Sing  Sing  on  the  same 
piazza.  During  the  day  we  sauntered  back  and  forth 
between  our  apartments  and  the  academy  for  physical 
research.  Just  to  amuse  ourselves  we  learned  to  make 
barrel  staves  between  times.  It  was  two  months  before 
we  managed  to  speak  to  one  another.  After  that  we 
corresponded  quite  reg'lar.  I  had  notes  from  him,  and 
he  from  me.  I  soon  got  on  to  Brad's  troubles.  Seems 
that  Bob  Grand  owed  him  several  thousand  dollars.  He 
had  owed  it  for  more  'n  two  years.  Some  deal  in  con- 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL   363 

nection  with  the  show.  You  remember  Brad  was  froze 
out  soon  after  his  wife  left  the  aggregation  in  '75.  He 
says  Grand  bulldozed  him  into  duckin'  the  —  I  mean, 
leavin'  the  show,  all  the  time  owin'  him  the  long  green. 
Seems  that  Brad  had  n't  delivered  all  the  goods  men 
tioned  in  the  bill  of  sale.  Bob  would  n't  settle  until  he 
got  the  goods. 

"  Well,  Brad  hung  arounji  Chicago,  fightin'  fire 
water  and  always  gettin'  licked  at  it,  for  two  years  or 
more.  Then  he  up  and  sashayed  to  New  York  for  a 
show-down  with  our  old  friend  Robert.  He  had  blood 
in  his  eye,  Brad  had.  He  'd  been  buncoed  bad,  and 
a  bad  man  hates  that  worse  than  the  thought  of  hell. 
When  he  got  to  New  York  he  hunted  up  Mr.  Bob 
Grand,  who  was  just  leavin'  for  England.  It  seems 
that  Brad's  wife  and  girl  had  been  located  over  there 
by  the  Colonel,  who  had  never  stopped  lookin'  for 
them.  Which  is  more  than  you  could  say  for  Brad. 
Mrs.  Braddock,  through  her  father  and  a  firm  of 
lawyers,  had  forced  old  Colonel  Dough-face  to  fork 
over  a  big  wad  of  greenbacks.  Her  share  in  the 
show,  you  understand.  Brad  heard  of  it  in  some  way. 
So  he  concludes  he  '11  get  in  his  little  graft.  He 
goes  to  the  Colonel's  rooms  in  a  hotel  on  Broadway, 
but  misses  him.  Then  he  lays  for  him  on  the  street. 
They  have  it  hot  and  heavy,  back  and  forth,  and  it 
all  ends  with  the  Colonel  puttin'  over  a  job  on  Brad 
that  lands  him  in  the  cooler.  Charge  of  highway 
robbery.  Brad  gets  three  years  in  the  pen.  I  '11  say 
this  for  him,  though ;  I  'm  dead  sure  he  was  n't  guilty." 

Dick  paused  to  relight  his  pipe. 

David  was  trembling  with  eagerness.  "  What  did 
he  have  to  say  of  Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine?  I  am 
interested  only  in  them,  Dick." 

"  He  Js    up    a    tree    regardin'    them.      They    never 


264  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

peeped,  so  far  as  he 's  concerned.  He  never  heard 
from  them  after  they  dusted  that  time.  Of  course, 
he  thinks  it  was  a  put-up  job,  that  gag  of  the  Colonel's, 
payin'  her  all  that  money.  He  argues  that  it  was  all 
understood  between  'em,  and  that  it  was  n't  a  squeeze 
on  her  part.  The  Colonel  denied  it,  mighty  strong, 
sayin'  he  had  never  heard  from  Mrs.  Braddock  until 
her  lawyers  and  old  man  Portman  came  down  on  him, 
just  after  his  own  wife  had  got  a  divorce  from  him." 

"  I  have  heard,"  ventured  David,  "  that  Mrs.  Grand 
based  her  complaint  on  the  fact  that  her  husband 
was  mixed  up  in  some  way  with  an  actress." 

"  She  had  to  have  something,  Davy,"  said  the  other. 
"  They  faked  up  an  imitation  —  that  ain't  the  word  — 
an  imaginary  actress  for  the  occasion.  Joey  Noakes 
told  me  all  about  that.  She  first  tried  to  get  some  of 
the  old  crowd  to  swear  that  Mrs.  Braddock  was  the 
one,  but  she  got  a  terrible  throw-down  there.  They 
was  all  for  Mary  Braddock,  strong.  Then  what  do  you 
think  her  lawyers  up  and  does?  They  actually  went 
to  Joey  and  offered  him  ten  thousand  if  he  'd  let  'em 
use  Ruby's  name. 

A  spasm  of  rage  transfigured  the  face  of  the  imper 
turbable  rascal.  His  hands  were  clenched  and  the  veins 
stood  out  in  his  temples. 

"  What  a  cowardly,  outrageous  thing  to  do !  "  cried 
David. 

Dick  did  not  speak  for  several  minutes,  but  sat  staring 
at  his  hands,  his  thoughts  five  hundred  miles  away.  At 
last  his  lips  spread  into  a  dry,  crippled  smile. 

"  Joey  told  'em  to  go  to  hell.  And  he  rather  helped 
the  guy  along  the  route  by  kickin'  him  half-way  down 
stairs.  If  he  had  n't  caught  himself  against  the  rail 
ing  half-way  down,  he  'd  'a'  been  in  the  bad  place  these 
last  four  years.  I  wish  to  state  at  this  point,  Davy, 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL   265 

that  for  the  past  four  years  I  Ve  made  it  my  business 
to  make  that  guy  wish  he  was  there  a  hundred  times 
over.  It 's  mighty  hard  to  do  a  lawyer,  but  I  've 
got  that  feller  so  's  he  sits  up  nights,  looking  like  a 
ghost,  waitin'  to  see  what 's  going  to  happen  to  him  if 
he  should  accidentally  fall  asleep.  But,  'nough  of 
that.  After  I  got  out  of  the  pen  I  dropped  in  to  see 
Joey.  He  was  just  organizin'  that  road  pantomime 
show  of  his.  He  told  me  ah1  about  Mrs.  Grand's  pro 
posal,  and  I  was  for  cutting  the  dame's  throat,  only  he 
would  n't  hear  to  it.  You  been  in  Joey's  home  in 
Tenth  Street,  haven't  you?  I  mean  the  old  one,  just 
a  little  ways  off  Broadway.  Well,  you  remember  them 
stairs?  Can  you  imagine  bein'  kicked  down  them 
stairs  ?  Gee  whiz !  How  I  'd  like  to  ha'  been  there ! 
Well,  you  know  all  about  Joey's  pantomime  fizzle.  It 
almost  busted  the  old  boy's  heart.  He  went  stony 
broke  the  first  year.  Him  and  Ruby  had  to  go  over  to 
live  in  an  awful  place  on  the  east  side,  just  off  the 
Bowery.  It  happened  to  be  right  near  the  joint 
where  Ernie  and  me  hang  out  in  the  winter  time.  Our 
palatial  residence  then  was  back  of  a  cobbler's  shop, 
two  flights  off  the  sidewalk.  I  can't  say  that  it 's  as 
sunny  and  as  nicely  aired  as  your  joint  here,  kid, 
but  it 's  harder  to  get  inside  of.  And  it  would  be  im 
possible  to  get  out  if  you  once  got  in,  unless  you  had 
a  recommend  from  one  of  the  gang.  Seven  of  us 
hangs  out  there  now.  Maybe  I  '11  show  you  the  j  oint 
some  time,  if  you  can  keep  your  jaw  shut  about  it. 

"  But  I  'm  gettin'  off  the  trail.  After  Joey's  bust 
up,  Centennial  year,  who  comes  along  and  offers  him 
a  stake  but  old  Colonel  Grand.  Offers  to  lend  him 
money  enough  to  start  all  over  again.  That 's  where 
Joey  made  his  mistake.  The  old  jay  took  the  money 
and  started  all  over  again  with  —  " 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

David  started  to  his  feet.  "  Impossible !  *'  he  ex 
claimed.  "  Why,  I  —  I  myself,  Dick,  lent  him  the 
money  three  years  ago  to  get  on  his  feet  again." 

"  Sure  you  did.  I  have  n't  come  to  that  yet.  I 
said  he  took  a  couple  of  thousand  from  the  Colonel. 
That  was  before  you  come  into  it,  and  he  was  so 
ashamed  of  it  he  never  told  you.  Well,  out  they  go 
on  the  road  again,  with  him  as  the  clown,  Ruby  as  the 
columbine,  Casey  as  harlequin  and  a  guy  named  Smith 
as  pantaloon.  They  had  a  show  something  like  Humpty 
Dumpty.  But  you  know  all  about  that." 

"  Perfectly,"  said  David,  smiling  reflectively.  "  I 
was  with  the  show  for  a  week  on  the  road  in  '78.  I 
must  say  I  liked  the  rough  old  tent  days  better  than 
the  life  they  led  in  those  abominable  country  town 
opera  houses." 

"  Umph !  "  was  the  other's  comment.  "  That 's  origi 
nally  the  way  the  Colonel's  wife  took  it  into  her  head 
to  drag  Ruby  in  if  she  could.  Well,  what  does  the 
Colonel  do,  after  the  show  gets  to  going  well,  but  drop 
in  occasionally  just  as  he  did  to  Van  Slye's  circus,  and 
proceed  before  long  to  make  love  to  Ruby.  Yes,  sir! 
That 's  what  he  did,  the  hell-rotter  that  he  is.  Soon 
as  Joey  finds  out  his  game,  he  up  and  takes  a  fall 
out  of  him.  Then  the  Colonel  threatens  to  put  him 
out  of  business.  Right  then  and  there  is  where  tToey 
writes  to  you  for  help.  You  fork  over  proper-like, 
as  you  should,  and  he  pays  back  what  he  owes  Grand, 
preferring  to  owe  you.  So  he  got  rid  of  the  devil 
for  more  than  forty  days.  That 's  about  the  time  I 
goes  to  the  pen.  I  carelessly  lets  myself  get  nabbed, 
actin*  on  Ernie's  advice.  He  's  a  slick  kid,  that  boy  is. 
He  ain't  goin'  to  let  me  get  hung  if  he  can  help  it.  You 
see,  I  'm  booked  for  hangin',  sure  as  fate;  he  knows 
it  as  well  as  I  do,  only  he  's  smart  enough  to  want  to 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL   267 

put  it  off  till  I  'm  so  old  I  won't  mind  it.  So  I 
goes  to  the  pen  just  to  keep  from  killin'  Bob  Grand. 
A  year  in  the  cooler  makes  you  see  things  most  sensi- 
ble-like.  I  knowed  that  when  I  went  in.  If  I  'd  waited 
a  week  after  hearin'  Joey's  story  of  that  dog's  atten 
tions  to  Ruby,  I  'd  ha'  been  in  Kingdom  Come  long 
ago,  and  so  would  he.  We  'd  both  been  down  below 
to  welcome  Mrs.  Grand's  lawyer  when  he  arrived.  So, 
actin'  on  Ernie's  advice,  I  gets  pinched  the  second 
night  after  hearin'  about  it.  Ernie  's  a  humane  cuss. 
He  saved  two  lives,  then  and  there." 

"  You  deliberately  put  yourself  in  prison  ?  "  cried 
David. 

"  Just  to  postpone   the   hangin',  kid,   that 's   all." 

"  It 's  all  rubbish,  this  talk  of  hanging,"  protested 
the  other.  "  You  're  too  kind-hearted,  Dick,  to  kill 
a  fly." 

"  There  '11  be  a  rope  around  my  guzzle  some  time, 
Davy,  j  ust  as  sure  as  you  're  sittin*  there,"  said  Art 
ful  Dick,  and,  notwithstanding  his  careless  laugh,  a 
perceptible  gleam  of  terror  showed  in  his  eyes  for  an 
instant.  "  But  I  'm  wandering  again.  When  I  was 
up  to  Sing  Sing  I  tumbled  to  what  was  on  Brad's 
mind.  He  thinks  she  trun  him  down  for  Grand.  The 
more  he  thought  of  it,  the  more  full  of  the  devil  he 
got.  Just  before  I  left  the  place  he  wrote  me  a  long 
letter  and  slipped  it  to  me  in  a  hunk  of  bread.  He 
said  he  'd  made  up  his  mind  to  kill  her  and  Grand 
as  soon  as  he  got  out.  You  can  tell  by  a  convict's 
looks  whether  he  's  bluffin'  or  not.  I  tell  you,  Davy, 
I  sees  it  in  Brad's  face.  He  meant  what  he  said.  He  's 
going  to  do  it,  as  sure  as  fate.  He  ain't  got  any 
thing  to  live  for  and  he  ain't  going  to  let  the  two 
of  'em  live  any  longer  than  he  does." 

"And  you  say  he's  out?  Dick,  we  must  do  some 
thing  to  prevent  this  awful  —  " 


268  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Sit  down,  Davy.  You  can't  get  a  train  till  to 
morrow.  Besides,  there 's  time  enough.  The  first 
thing  I  does  after  I  leaves  the  coop  was  to  hustle  down 
to  see  Joey.  I  put  him  on  to  Brad's  bad  talk,  and  he 
promised  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  him.  At  that 
time  Mrs.  Braddock  was  livin'  in  London,  but  Joey 
did  n't  know  it.  I  found  out  later  on  through  Ernie. 
He  got  her  whereabouts  by  pumpin'  a  coachman  who 
worked  for  her  father,  old  man  Portman.  It  seems 
that  while  she  would  n't  take  money  from  the  old  man, 
she  appealed  to  him  to  help  her  in  gettin'  what  was 
due  her  from  the  sale  of  the  show.  She  went  to 
Europe  a  couple  of  months  after  she  left  the  show,  a 
school  friend  puttin'  up  for  her,  I  understand.  Her 
dad  was  willin'  to  forgive  her,  after  she  'd  tied  the 
can  to  Brad,  but  she  says  nix.  She  changed  her 
name  and  took  charge  of  this  school  friend's  children 
who  were  being  educated  in  London,  givin'  their 
mother  a  chance  to  chase  around  Europe  without 
bein'  bothered  by  kids.  When  she  got  the  dough  out 
of  old  Bob  Grand  she  puts  Christine  in  a  school  some 
'eres  and  —  " 

"  Thank  God,  and  you,  Dick,  for  this  news,"  cried 
David  fervently.  "  I  knew  that  she  could  do  nothing 
but  the  right  thing.  Go  on !  " 

"  Well,  about  six  months  ago,  her  stepmother  up 
and  dies.  The  old  man  promptly  sends  for  her  to  come 
back  and  cheer  his  declinin'  years,  as  the  novel  writers 
say.  Ernie  writes  all  this  to  me  and  I  gets  the  letter  a 
couple  of  months  ago  down  in  New  Orleans,  where  I 
was  attendin'  Mardi  Gras,  a  sort  of  annual  custom  of 
mine,  don't  you  know,  old  chap,  by  Jove !  I  'm  terrible 
careless  about  my  correspondence,  which  accounts  for 
my  neglectin'  to  write  this  to  you.  However,  I  'm  not 
so  careless  that  I  neglected  to  write  this  to  Ruby  —  a 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL   269 

thing  I  do  reg'lar  every  month,  some  months.  Four 
days  ago,  in  Looieville,  I  gets  two  letters,  one  from  her 
and  one  from  Ernie.  Ernie  knows  everything.  He  's 
seen  Christine  nearly  every  day  for  three  months,  but 
she  ain't  seen  him.  Poor  devil  of  an  Ernie !  I  made 
him  what  he  is  —  I  banged  him  up  for  life." 

"  It  was  an  accident,  Dick.     Don't  take  it  —  " 

"  Nix.  It  ain't  no  accident  when  you  kick  a  four- 
year-old  kid  down  a  flight  of  stairs.  Well,  anyhow, 
they  both  write  me  that  Tom  Braddock  is  in  New  York 
and  actin'  terrible  ugly.  He  's  layin'  for  Bob  Grand. 
As  luck  would  have  it,  the  Colonel  is  off  attendin'  the 
races  along  the  spring  circuit,  and  Ernie  says  he 
won't  be  back  in  New  York  for  three  or  four  days. 
Mrs.  Braddock  has  got  her  father  down  South  some- 
'eres,  but  the  servants  are  expectin'  'em  back  this  week." 

"  Then  we  may  be  in  time.  We  must  not  lose  a 
minute,  Dick.  If  Tom  Braddock  carries  out  his 
threat,  we  '11  be  to  blame  —  you  and  I.  Christine,  — 
where  is  she?  What  is  she  like?  What  do  they  say 
of  her?" 

"  Ruby  's  been  on  the  road,  so  she  don't  mention 
having  seen  her.  And,  say,  Davy,  don't  be  sore  at  me 
for  what  I  'm  going  to  say  now.  It 's  this  way :  Ernie 
made  me  promise  never  to  tell  you  anything  about  her 
—  how  she  looks  —  how  she  acts,  where  she  is,  or  any 
thing.  I  've  only  told  you  where  her  mother  is,  mind 
you.  You  '11  have  to  guess  about  Christie.  You  see, 
Davy,  that  boy  's  sure  j  ealous  of  you  yet.  I  —  I  — 
guess  you  understand." 

David  nodded  his  head  without  speaking.  He  under 
stood.  There  was  nothing  for  him  to  say. 

"  I  '11  find  her  myself,"  he  said,  beginning  to  pace  the 
floor  in  his  excitement.  "  She  must  be  beautiful.  She 
must  be  all  that  her  mother  promised.  But,  Dick !  " 


270  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  stopped  short,  struck  by  a  sudden  thought. 
*'  Why  has  n't  Mrs.  Braddock  written  to  me?  She 
promised.  The  five  years  have  passed.  We  were  to 
see  each  other  at  the  end  of  five  —  " 

"  Well,  maybe  you  will,  kid.  Don't  get  peevish.  I 
guess  Mrs.  Braddock  knows  her  business.  Has  it  ever 
occurred  to  you  that  there  might  be  another  Romeo 
lookin'  at  Christie?  Five  years  is  quite  a  spell.  Girls 
are  fickle  brutes." 

"  For  God's  sake,  Dick,  if  you  do  know  of  anything 
like  that,  tell  me." 

"  Cross  my  heart,  Davy,  I  don't  know,  and  that 's 
straight." 

"  We  must  catch  the  first  train  in  the  morning." 

"  Don't  hop  around  like  that,  Davy ;  you  '11  upset 
something.  You  can't  hurry  a  train,  kid.  We  '11 
catch  it,  all  right.  Sit  down.  Get  a  pipe  and  take  a 
smoke.  Keep  cool.  That 's  our  game,  kid.  If  you 
go  bumpin'  into  old  man  Portman's  house  without  bein* 
sure  you  're  wanted,  you  might  get  —  well,  I  won't  say 
what!" 

"  You  're  right,  Dick.  She  may  have  forgotten  me. 
She  may  have  asked  her  mother  not  to  write  to  me. 
I  've  waited  and  hoped  and  counted  on  having  her  — 
I  've  checked  off  the  weeks  and  months  and  years.  I 
wonder  if  you  can  understand  how  it  is  when  you  care 
as  much  as  I  do,  and  always  have?  No  one  knows. 
It 's  all  in  a  fellow's  own  heart.  It  —  " 

"  Oh,  I  've  had  a  case  or  two  myself,  kid.  It  ain't 
nothin'  new,  this  crimp  you  've  got,"  said  Dick,  put 
ting  his  heels  on  the  desk.  "  Adam  had  it.  So  did 
Solomon,  only  he  had  it  in  so  many  places  he  got  so  he 
did  n't  mind  it.  Think  of  them  guys  that  have  harems. 
Think  of  Brigham  Young.  Why,  kid,  you  don't  know 
the  first  thing  about  love  pains.  Think  of  the  guy  with 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL     271 

the  harem  and  his  guesswork !  He  's  got  something  to 
worry  about,  he  has.  It 's  awful  when  you  've  got  to 
love  a  couple  of  hundred  of  'em  at  once,  and  them  all 
hatin'  you  like  poison.  And  old  Brigham  —  think  of 
him  settin'  up  all  hours  of  the  night,  wonderin'  whether 
she  loves  him  as  much  as  she  used  to,  and  not  being 
able  to  remember  just  which  she  he  's  thinkin'  about. 
Brace  up,  kid.  It 's  only  a  rash  you  've  got.  If  Chris 
tie  has  given  you  the  shake  just  remember  how  easy  it 
was  for  Brigham  to  collect  'em.  The  woods  are  full 
of  'em." 

"  But,  good  Lord,  Dick,"  cried  David,  laughing  in 
spite  of  himself,  "  I  'm  not  a  Mormon." 

"  Kid,  every  man  's  a  Mormon  at  heart.  Just  cram 
that  in  your  pipe.  And  every  woman,  no  matter  how 
ugly  she  is,  thinks  she  's  a  siren.  It 's  in  the  blood  of 
both  sexes,  this  Mormonism  and  sirenism.  Oh,  don't 
look  so  surprised,  kid.  I  got  some  of  my  views  out  of 
the  dictionary,  but  most  of  'em  came  from  observin' 
people  as  they  look  to  me  from  my  own  level.  I  have  a 
way  of  bringin'  everybody  down  to  my  own  level,  kid, 
and  I  find,  except  for  that  commandment  about  stealin', 
we  all  have  about  the  same  amount  of  cussedness  in  us 
some'eres.  It 's  human  nature  to  be  bad,  or  to  want 
to  be  bad.  We  'd  all  be  a  little  bit  bad,  from  time  to 
time,  if  we  was  n't  afraid  of  being  found  out.  Course, 
it  comes  in  different  size  doses.  Some  girls  think  it 's 
terrible  bad  just  to  wink  at  a  feller,  but  they  do  it  be 
cause  it 's  bad  and  not  because  it 's  sanctimonious,  you 
bet.  Then  there  are  other  girls  who  'd  cut  your  throat 
with  a  razzor  while  you  're  asleep.  You  bet  they 
would  n't  be  doing  that  if  it  was  considered  good.  All 
men  have  got  deviltry  in  'em,  and  all  women  mischief. 
The  women  like  the  men  for  the  deviltry,  and  it 's  the 
mischief  in  women  that  plays  the  devil  with  the  men. 


272  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

It  don't  appear  on  the  surface,  but  it 's  there  j  ust  the 
same." 

"  What  amazing  philosophy,"  laughed  David. 

"  I  've  been  gettin'  philosophy  up  in  your  attic, 
Davy,"  said  Dick  with  a  quaint  grin.  "  I  read  some- 
'eres  that  all  philosophers  get  in  their  real  work  in 
attics.  Now,  I  guess  we  'd  better  turn  in.  I  don't 
think  you  '11  do  much  sleepin'  to-night,  so  you  'd  —  " 

"  First,  Dick,"  interrupted  David,  rising  to  pull  the 
old-fashioned  bell  cord  in  the  corner  of  the  big  cham 
ber,  "  we  '11  have  a  bite  of  supper.  I  want  to  introduce 
you  to  my  servants." 

"  Hold  on !  "  Dick  came  to  his  feet  quickly.  "  It 's 
my  treat.  You  wait  here.  I  've  got  a  fine  supper  goin' 
to  waste  up  in  the  garret.  I  copped  it  out  early  this 
evening.  Poke  up  the  fire  there,  Davy,  and  don't  try 
to  foller  me." 

He  was  gone,  the  door  to  the  hall  closing  gently 
behind  him.  There  was  not  a  sound  to  be  heard  in  the 
house.  Outside  the  frogs  were  chattering,  and  a  nearby 
owl  hooted  dolefully.  David  stood  still  in  the  center 
of  the  room,  his  gaze  fixed  on  the  hall  door.  He  counted 
the  minutes,  expecting,  in  spite  of  his  preparedness,  to 
be  startled  when  the  door  opened  with  ghostly  ease  to 
admit  the  lank  figure  of  the  "  dip."  There  was  a  cer 
tain  sense  of  dread  in  the  knowledge  that  somewhere 
off  in  the  dark,  silent  halls  a  stealthy,  noiseless,  almost 
sinister  thing  was  moving  —  moving  with  the  swift 
ness  and  caution  of  a  weasel,  but  with  all  the  merry  pur 
pose  of  a  harlequin.  David  experienced  a  grewsome, 
uncanny  desire  to  shiver.  He  remembered  Dick's  ad 
monition  and  was  about  to  turn  to  the  fireplace,  in 
which  the  logs  were  no  longer  blazing. 

Suddenly  the  door  opened.  He  could  have  sworn  that 
the  knob  had  not  turned.  There  had  not  been  the  faint- 


THE  STRANGER  AT  THE  HALL     273 

est  sound,  and  yet  Dick  Cronk  stepped  quickly,  con 
fidently  into  the  room,  a  grin  on  his  face.  In  one  hand 
he  bore  a  fair-sized  package,  done  up  in  a  napkin. 

"  You  are  the  ghostliest  thing  I  've  ever  known," 
said  David  with  a  nervous  laugh  of  relief.  "  How  do 
you  do  it?  " 

"  Simple  twist  of  the  wrist,"  said  Dick,  employing 
a  phrase  of  the  day.  "  Gee,  how  tired  you  must  be, 
after  pokin'  up  the  fire  like  that !  " 

David  hastened  to  do  his  part  of  the  pantomime. 
When  he  turned  from  the  replenished  fireplace  a  cold 
supper  was  spread  on  the  desk,  the  napkin  serving  as 
a  tablecloth.  There  were  knives,  forks  and  spoons,  and 
a  china  plate  apiece.  A  pitcher  of  milk  stood  at  one 
end,  a  bottle  of  claret  at  the  other,  with  tumblers  beside 
them.  In  the  center  of  the  board  was  a  plate  of  fried 
chicken,  some  young  onions,  freshly  baked  bread,  salt, 
pepper,  and,  most  wonderful  of  all,  —  Aunt  Fanny's 
newest  marble-cake,  huge  and  aggressive. 

The  master  of  the  house  stared  open-mouthed  at  this 
amazing  feast.  Where  had  it  all  come  from?  How  had 
it  been  transported? 

"  Well,  I  '11  be  hanged !  "  he  gasped. 

Dick  shuddered.  "  Don't  say  that !  It  gives  me  the 
Willies.  Sit  down,  friend,  and  make  yourself  at  home. 
Ah !  This  is  real  comfort !  Don't  you  think  I  'd  make 
some  woman  a  fine  husband  ?  I  'm  no  slouch  as  a  pro 
vider,  am  I  ?  " 

It  was  after  two  o'clock  when  Artful  Dick  Cronk 
whispered  good  night  and  slipped  out  into  the  hall. 
He  carried  with  him  all  the  plates,  cutlery  and  rem 
nants  of  the  midnight  feast,  having  remarked  in  ad 
vance  that  a  careful  operator  never  left  anything  "  half 
finished."  It  was  his  purpose  to  restore  every  article 
except  the  food,  to  the  place  from  which  he  had  taken 

18 


274  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

it.  He  and  David  chuckled  joyously  over  the  fresh 
amazement  of  Aunt  Fanny  in  the  morning ;  she  had  been 
living  in  a  state  of  dread  for  three  appalling  days,  as 
it  was. 

The  next  morning  Dick  appeared  at  breakfast  with 
his  host.  He  rescued  Zuley  Ann's  greatly  prized  silver 
watch  from  the  steaming  coffee  urn,  and  picked  Jeff's 
pocket-book  from  the  mouth  of  a  lamp  chimney,  after 
wards  restoring  the  thirty-eight  cents  it  contained. 
Strangely  enough,  he  took  the  coins  from  the  wool  on 
Jeff's  head.  If  ever  a  negro's  wool  undertook  to  stand 
on  end  it  was  at  that  moment.  Zuley  Ann's  eyes  were 
permanently  enlarged.  I  have  it  on  excellent  authority. 

At  eight  o'clock  they  were  off  for  Richmond  and 
the  New  York  express. 


CHAPTER    III 

THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME 

LONG  before  the  train  reached  the  station  in  New  York, 
David  and  Dick  parted  company.  The  shrewd  but 
whimsical  scamp  presented  at  considerable  length  the 
problem  of  virtue  and  vice  stalking  arm  in  arm,  as  it 
were,  through  the  streets  of  New  York;  he  pictured, 
with  extreme  unction,  the  doleful  undoing  of  virtue  and 
the  practiced  escape  of  vice. 

"  Kid,"  said  he,  "  the  first  cop  that  laid  eyes  on  us 
meanderin'  down  Broadway  would  land  on  us  like  a  rat- 
terrier.  Being  a  clever  devil,  I  'd  hook  it  and  give  him 
the  slip.  But  you,  kid!  Where  would  you  be,  little 
innocent?  How  far  would  virtue  and  justice  carry  you 
up  an  alley  with  a  cop  at  your  coat  tails?  Nix,  kid. 
We  go  it  alone  after  we  leave  Newark.  That 's  the 
trouble  with  this  world.  Nothing 's  plumb  square. 
Now,  here  's  the  point :  Virtue  's  all  right  if  it  trots 
alone.  But  just  let  Virtue  hook  up  with  Vice  for  ten 
minutes,  unsuspecting  like,  and  see  what  the  world  says. 
Kid,  that  little  ten  minutes  of  bad  company  would  upset 
a  lifetime  of  continuous  Sundays.  'Specially  in  the 
eyes  of  a  cop.  A  cop  ain't  acquainted  with  virtue. 
My  advice  to  the  young  and  innocent  is  to  avoid  evil 
companions  and  cops.  It 's  a  long  ways  to  heaven,  and 
lonesome  traveling  at  that,  but  it 's  only  a  step  to  hell, 
and  the  crowdin'  is  something  awful.  It 's  mighty  nigh 
impossible  to  turn  back  once  you  get  started,  on  ac 
count  of  the  mob.  I  'm  not  saying  you  won't  run  across 
worse  guys  than  I  am  at  the  swell  hotel  you  '11  stop  at, 
but  they  ain't  on  speaking  terms  with  the  police." 


276  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

David  went  to  one  of  the  big  hotels  patronized  by 
all  well-to-do  Southerners  of  the  day.  At  the  railway 
station  he  looked  about  for  the  philosophic  jailbird, 
but  he  was  not  to  be  seen.  The  Virginian  drove  to  the 
hotel,  conscious  of  a  strange  loneliness,  now  that  the 
resourceful  rogue  was  not  at  his  elbow.  He  found  some 
consolation  in  Dick's  promise  to  communicate  with  him 
before  the  close  of  the  following  day,  when  doubtless 
he  would  be  able  to  furnish  news  of  interest,  if  not  of 
importance. 

The  next  morning  saw  David  on  his  way  to  the  home 
of  Joey  Noakes,  far  down  town  and  to  the  west  of 
Washington  Square.  He  knew  the  house.  He  had  been 
there  before.  A  narrow,  quaint  little  place  it  was, 
reminiscent  in  an  exterior  sort  of  way  of  the  motley 
gentleman  who  solemnly  called  it  his  castle.  You 
climbed  a  tall  stoop  flanked  on  either  side  by  flower 
boxes,  and  rattled  a  heavy  knocker  that  had  all  the 
marks  of  English  antiquity,  —  and  English  servility, 
—  and  then  you  waited  for  the  trim  little  housemaid, 
who  betimes  was  a  slavey  below  stairs  and  not  per 
mitted  to  answer  the  knocker  until  she  had  donned  her 
cap  and  apron  and  rolled  down  her  sleeves  —  and 
slipped  on  her  cuffs,  for  that  matter.  If  you  were  an 
unpleasantly  long  time  in  gaining  admittance,  you 
might  be  sure  that  she  was  also  changing  her  shoes  or 
perhaps  brushing  her  hair.  In  any  event,  after  you 
knocked  it  was  some  time  before  she  opened  the  door, 
and  then  you  were  immediately  impressed  by  the  con 
viction  that  her  brightly  shining  face  had  scarcely  re 
covered  from  the  application  of  a  convenient  "  wash 
rag,"  and  that  she  seemed  deplorably  out  of  breath. 
But  she  was  neat  and  clean  and  quite  English. 

As  for  that,  everything  about  the  establishment  was 
English.  The  window-boxes,  from  basement  to  garret ; 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME     277 

the  way  the  curtains  hung  in  rigid  complaisance;  the 
significant  name-plate  on  the  middle  panel  of  the  door: 
"  Joseph  Grinaldi,  Esq." ;  the  minute  plot  of  grass 
alongside  the  steps  that  led  to  the  basement,  with  a 
treasured  rose-bush  in  the  corner  thereof.  You  were 
positive,  without  looking,  that  Joey  had  a  back  yard 
which  he  called  a  garden,  and  that  it  possessed  every 
thing  desirable  except  a  vista  —  and  he  would  have 
that  if  it  were  not  for  "  the  houses  in  between,"  to  say 
nothing  of  the  high  board  fence  he  had  built  to  keep 
out  all  prowling  beasts  —  including  humanity  —  with 
the  double  exception  of  cats  and  sparrows.  Although 
it  was  a  typical,  hemmed-in  New  York  house,  you 
would  n't  have  thought  of  calling  the  chimneys  any 
thing  but  pots,  nor  would  you  have  called  the  shingles 
by  any  other  name  than  slates. 

Joey  was  at  home.  He  was  expecting  David,  which 
accounts  for  the  prompt  appearance  of  the  sprightly 
maid,  and  the  genial  shout  of  welcome  from  the  top  of 
the  stairs. 

"  Come  in,  my  lad,"  called  Joey,  bounding  down  the 
steps  with  all  the  resilience  of  a  youth  of  twenty.  "  My 
crimes,  I  'm  'appy  to  see  you." 

They  shook  hands  warmly,  the  little  maid  bobbing 
her  head  in  rhythmic  appreciation. 

"You  knew  I  was  coming?  "  asked  David,  following 
the  old  man  into  the  "  drawing-room." 

"  I  found  a  note  under  the  door  this  morning,  David, 
left  there  mysterious-like  during  the  night.  It  was 
left  by  the  fairies,  I  daresay,  although  the  'and-writing 
was  scarcely  wot  you  'd  call  dainty."  Joey  pulled  a 
knowing  wink. 

"  Dick  Cronk,"  announced  David.  "  He  came  up 
with  me.  Braddock  is  in  the  city,  Joey." 

"  Sit  down  in  that  chair  by  the  winder,  David.     So ! 


278  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Wot  a  'andsome  chap  you  've  got  to  be !  My  eye ! 
Ruby  will  be  proper  crazy  about  you.  I  beg  pardon: 
you  mentioned  Tom  Braddock.  Well,  he  was  a  setting 
right  there  where  you  are  not  more  than  twenty-four 
hours  ago." 

"You  don't  mean  it!" 

"  Ruby  will  be  in  before  long,"  rambled  the  old 
clown,  thoroughly  enj  oying  himself.  "  She 's  off  to 
the  market.  Do  you  know,  Davy,  she  's  a  most  won 
derful  manager,  that  girl  o'  mine.  We  've  been  in 
from  the  road  for  nearly  a  month  now  —  closed  the 
most  prosperous  season  on  record  at  Rochester,  New 
York,  on  the  17th  of  May  —  and  Ruby  'ad  the  'ouse 
running  like  it  'ad  been  oiled  inside  o'  two  hours  arfter 
we  got  off  the  cars.  She  's  a  —  Oh,  we  was  talking 
of  Brad,  wasn't  we?  Well,  let  me  see.  Oh,  yes,  he 
was  'ere  yesterday.  And  now  you  're  'ere  to-day.  It 's 
marvelous  'ow  things  do  go.  Brad  asked  arfter  you." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  David  impatiently.  "  But,  tell 
me,  Joey,  what  is  his  game?  What  is  he  in  New  York 
for?" 

The  old  clown  did  not  answer  at  once.  He  pursed  his 
lips  and  stared  in  a  troubled  sort  of  way  at  the  leg  of 
David's  chair.  Then  he  began  to  fill  his  pipe.  His 
hand  trembled  noticeably. 

Saving  the  snowy  whiteness  of  his  hair,  Grinaldi  did 
not  appear  to  be  an  hour  older  than  in  the  days  of  Van 
Slye's.  His  merry,  wrinkled  face  was  as  ruddy,  as 
keen,  as  healthy  as  it  ever  had  been.  No  one  would 
have  called  him  sixty-five,  and  yet  he  was  beyond  that 
in  years. 

"  He  's  'ere  for  no  good  purpose,  I  'm  afraid,"  said 
he,  at  last.  "  In  a  way,  I  'm  kind  o'  sorry  for  Brad, 
David.  He  'd  'a'  been  a  different  sort  o'  man  if  it 
'ad  n't  been  for  Bob  Grand.  If  ever  a  chap  'ad  an  evil 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME     279 

genius,  Brad  'ad  one  in  that  man.  I  suppose  Dick  told 
jou  Brad  's  been  up  for  two  or  three  year,  doing  time. 
Not  but  wot  he  deserved  it,  the  way  he  treated  Mary, 
but  it  don't  seem  just  right  that  Bob  Grand  should 
be  the  one  to  send  'im  up.  Mary  'ad  nothink  to  do 
with  it,  but  you  can't  make  Brad  believe  that.  He  's 
got  it  in  'is  'ead  that  she  's  been  working  with  Grand 
all  along.  I  talked  to  'im  for  two  hours  yesterday, 
but  I  could  n't  shake  'im.  He  's  a  broken  man  —  but 
he 's  a  determined  one.  The  time  served  up  at  Sing 
Sing  'ad  one  benefit  to  it:  it  dried  up  all  the  whiskey 
that  was  in  'im.  He  came  out  of  there  with  'is  eyes 
and  'is  mind  as  clear  as  whistles,  and  he  's  not  the  feller 
you  used  to  know,  David.  He 's  twenty  years  older, 
and  his  face  ain't  no  longer  bloated ;  it 's  haggard  and 
full  o'  lines.  His  hair  is  nearly  as  white  as  mine.  And 
'ere  's  the  great  thing  about  'im :  he  ain't  drinking  a 
drop.  He  says  he  never  will  drink  another  drop,  so  long 
as  he  lives.  Do  you  know  why?  " 

The  old  man  leaned  forward  and  spoke  with  a  seri 
ous  intentness  that  sent  a  cold  chill  to  the  heart  of  his 
young  friend. 

"  He  says  he  ain't  going  to  take  any  chances  on 
bungling  the  job  he's  set  out  to  do,"  went  on  Joey 
slowly.  "  He  wants  to  be  plumb  sober  when  he  does 
it,  so  's  it  will  be  done  proper." 

"  You  mean  —  murder  ?  " 

"That's  just  it,  David.  He's  going  to  kill  Bob 
Grand." 

"  Joey,  we  must  prevent  that ! "  exclaimed  David, 
rising  and  beginning  to  pace  the  floor.  "  There  is 
time  to  stop  him.  Grand  is  not  in  the  city.  We  must 
get  Braddock  away.  Think  what  it  would  mean  to  — 
to  Christine  and  her  mother !  Why,  it 's  —  " 

"  Brad  ain't  going  to  stop  to  think  about  W  it  will 


280  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

affect  them.  He  's  only  got  one  idea  in  his  'ead.  He  '11 
'ave  it  out  with  Mary  beforehand,  if  he  gets  the  chance, 
but  he  won't  do  'er  bodily  injury.  He  swears  he  won't 
do  that.  He  admits  he  's  done  'er  enough  'arm.  Do 
you  know  wot  he  told  me  ?  —  and  he  cried  like  a  baby 
when  he  told  me,  too.  David,  he  actually  sold  'is  wife 
to  Bob  Grand  when  he  gave  up  the  show." 

"  Good  heaven,  Joey !  " 

"  He  told  me  so  'isself,  sitting  right  there.  But  he 
says  he  'ad  sunk  so  low  in  them  days,  pushed  along 
by  Grand,  that  there  was  n't  anything  too  mean  for 
'im  to  do.  He  told  me  he  stole  your  pocket-book  — 
and  a  lot  of  other  cruel  nasty  things  he  did  besides. 
But  he  said  it  was  whiskey  —  and  I  believe  'im.  You 
see,  David,  I  knowed  'im  when  he  was  as  straight  as  a 
string,  and  a  manly  chap  he  was,  too  —  even  if  'is 
father  was  an  old  scamp.  He  ain't  making  any 
excuses  for  'isself  —  not  a  bit  of  it.  He  says  he  's  a 
scoundrel." 

David  sat  down  limply,  stunned  by  the  news  of  Tom 
Braddock's  depravity. 

"  But  if  he  is  sober  and  in  his  right  senses,  he  must 
feel  the  most  poignant  remorse  after  that  one  terrible 
act,"  cried  the  young  man.  "  He  surely  must  know 
that  she  did  not  fall  into  the  trap  —  that  she  actually 
fled  to  escape  it.  He  knows  all  this,  Joey.  I  think  he 
loved  her  —  in  his  way.  I  know  he  loved  Christine. 
We  must  get  at  him  from  that  side  —  the  side  of  his 
love  for  the  girl,  the  side  of  fairness.  If  he  feels  re 
morse,  as  you  say,  all  is  not  lost  to  him.  Where  can 
we  find  him  to-day,  Joey?  To-morrow  may  be  too 
late." 

"Wot  does  Dick  say?  "  asked  the  old  clown,  puffing 
at  his  pipe.  His  calmness  served  its  purpose.  David 
stared  and  then  relaxed. 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME     281 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  'd  forgotten  Dick.  Before 
we  parted  yesterday,  it  was  understood  between  us  that 
I  was  to  do  nothing  until  I  had  heard  from  him.  He 
promised  to  find  Braddock  and  report  to  me  —  by 
letter.  Of  course,  he  did  not  know  that  you  had  seen 
him,  or  he  would  have  come  last  night  to  talk  it  over 
with  you  in  —  " 

Joey  held  up  his  hand  and  shook  his  head.  "  Oh, 
no,  he  would  n't,  David.  Dick  thinks  too  much  of  me 
to  come  'ere.  You  see,  it  would  never  do  for  him  to  be 
seen  frequentin'  this  'ouse.  I  've  invited  him  'ere,  I  '11 
say  that ;  but  he  's  too  square  to  come.  He  says  it 
would  injure  me,  and  my  'ouse  would  be  watched  as 
long  as  I  live  in  it.  And,  besides,  it  would  n't  be  right 
to  Ruby.  Once  or  twice  he  'as  sneaked  in  as  a  peddler 
or  a  plumber,  by  arrangement,  poor  chap,  but  never 
openly." 

To  David's  annoyance,  Joey  went  into  a  long  dis 
sertation  on  the  inscrutable  virtues  of  Dick  Cronk, 
concluding  with  the  sage  but  somewhat  ambiguous  re 
mark  that  it  not  only  "  takes  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief," 
but  that  an  honest  man  is  usually  a  thief  when  he  is 
caught  in  the  company  of  thieves. 

"  You  see,  Davy,  we  ain't  with  the  circus  now. 
We  're  at  'ome  in  our  own  'ouse,  and  things  is  different. 
A  circus  is  one  thing  and  a  man's  castle  is  another. 
Leastwise,  that 's  wot  Dick  says.  He  says  I  'm  too 
old  to  be  caught  in  bad  company.  I  'd  die  before  I 
could  live  it  down.  He  's  an  odd  chap,  he  is.  And  now, 
in  regard  to  Brad,  just  you  keep  cool  until  you  'ears 
from  Dick.  You  can't  afford  to  stir  up  a  row>  Old 
man  Portman  and  Mary  and  Christine  won't  thank 
you  for  stirring  things  up.  They  're  not  anxious  to 
'ave  a  scandal.  If  you  go  arfter  Brad  too  rough,  it 
will  percipitate  matters  instead  of  'olding  them  back. 


282  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

And  he  '11  know  to  onct  that  you  are  acting  for  his 
wife  —  a  sort  of  go-between,  don't  you  see.  That  will 
make  it  the  wuss  for  'er.  So,  just  'old  yourself  in, 
David.  Now,  let 's  talk  about  somethink  else.  Your 
self,  for  instance." 

David  resignedly  settled  back,  and  was  at  once  in 
volved  in  an  exchange  of  personal  narrative. 

"  I  'ave  retired  from  the  stage,"  remarked  Joey, 
putting  his  thumbs  in  the  armholes  of  his  velvet  waist 
coat.  "  I  am  too  old  to  go  clowning  it  any  longer. 
This  was  my  last  season.  I  've  got  a  comfortable 
income,  thanks  to  you,  David,  and  I  'm  going  to  spend 
the  rest  of  my  days  in  peace  and  quiet  —  if  you  call 
New  York  quiet,  wot  with  the  church  bells  and  the 
milkmen.  Three  seasons  in  the  pantomime,  doing  all 
the  one-night  stands  in  this  bloomin'  country,  is  enough 
for  Joey.  If  you  'ad  n't  staked  me  when  I  was  stony 
broke  three  years  ago,  Davy,  I  'd  be  in  the  poor'ouse 
now,  I  daresay.  You  saved  the  show  for  me  and  I  'm 
properly  grateful  to  you,  even  though  you  won't  let 
me  mention  it.  Next  season  Ruby  will  go  out  with  the 
show,  but  I  'm  getting  a  new  clown.  That  is,  she  '11 
go  unless  something  important  'appens  to  pervent." 

He  screwed  up  his  eye  very  mysteriously. 

"  What  is  likely  to  happen,  Joey  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  girls  do  get  married." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  Ruby  's  going  to  be  mar 
ried  ! "  David's  thoughts  ran  to  Dick  Cronk,  although 
he  knew  there  was  no  possible  chance  for  him. 

"  Well,  there  's  a  chap  mighty  attentive  to  'er  these 
days.  You  never  can  tell.  She  's  a  'ansome  girl  and 
—  but  I  daresay  it 's  best  not  to  count  chickens  before 
they  're  'atched.  I  don't  mind  saying,  'owever,"  he 
went  on  rather  wistfully,  "  I  'd  like  to  see  Ruby  'appily 
married  and  retired  from  the  stage.  It 's  wuss  than 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME     283 

the  circus,  my  lad.  The  temptations  are  greater  and 
there  ain't  so  much  honor  among  the  people  you  're 
thrown  with.  The  stage  is  surrounded  by  a  pack  of 
wolves  just  as  vicious  as  Bob  Grand  ever  was,  and  a 
girl 's  got  to  be  mighty  spry  to  dodge  'em." 

"Is  —  her  best  young  man  a  desirable  fellow?" 
asked  David,  feeling  very  sorry  for  the  outcast  who 
had  not  so  much  as  asked  for  a  chance. 

"  Capital  chap.  He 's  a  newspaper  man,  but  I  can't 
say  that  it 's  anything  very  damaging  against  'im.  He 
seems  a  very  sober  chap  and  thrifty.  You  would  n't 
believe  it,  but  it 's  quite  true." 

"  I  'm  sure  I  wish  her  all  the  happiness  in  the  world." 

"  She  can't  quite  make  up  'er  mind  to  leave  the 
stage,"  mused  Joey.  "  And  he  won't  'ave  'er  unless 
she  does,  for  good  and  all.  So  there  you  are." 

"  If  she  loves  him,  she  '11  give  it  up." 

"  She  loves  'im  all  right,"  said  Joey.  "  I  know  it, 
because  she  never  talks  about  'im.  I  don't  see  wot 's 
keeping  her.  She  could  ha'  gone  to  market  and  back 
five  times  —  Hello !  "  He  was  peering  through  the 
little  front  window.  A  huge  smile  beamed  in  his  face. 
With  a  chuckle,  he  called  his  visitor  to  the  window. 
"  Sh !  Don't  let  'er  see  the  curtain  move !  She  'd  take 
our  'eads  off.  See  that  chap  ?  That 's  why  she  's  been 
so  long  to  market." 

Ruby  was  walking  slowly  down  the  opposite  sidewalk, 
attended  by  a  tall,  strong-featured  young  fellow  whose 
very  attitude  toward  her  bespoke  infatuation.  They 
crossed  the  street  and  stood  for  a  long  time  at  the 
bottom  of  the  steps,  laughing  and  talking,  utterly  un 
conscious  of  surveillance.  Then  she  shook  hands  with 
her  courtier,  tapped  his  cheek  lightly  with  the  grocer's 
book  which  she  carried,  and  ran  lightly  up  the  steps. 
The  tall  young  man,  his  face  aglow,  stood  motionless 


284  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

where  she  left  him,  his  straw  hat  in  hand,  until  she 
entered  the  house  and  closed  the  door  behind  her. 
David's  last  glimpse  of  the  suitor  presented  that  per 
son,  with  his  chest  out,  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  strid 
ing  off  down  the  street,  very  much  as  if  he  owned  it. 
The  young  Virginian  barely  had  time  left  to  turn  away 
from  the  window  before  Ruby  swept  into  the  room. 

He  had  noted,  as  she  stood  below,  that  her  figure  was 
a  trifle  fuller;  she  was  a  bit  more  dashing,  and  a  great 
deal  handsomer  than  when  he  had  seen  her  last.  Some 
how,  David,  without  intending  to  do  so,  found  himself 
mentally  picturing  her  ten  years  hence:  a  stout,  good- 
natured  matron  with  a  double  chin  and  a  painful  effort 
to  disguise  it. 

He  was  not  taken  aback  when  she  rushed  over,  with 
a  little  scream  of  delight,  and  kissed  him  resoundingly. 
After  which  she  shook  hands  with  him.  It  was  what 
he  expected.  You  could  have  heard  the  three  of  them 
talking  if  you  had  been  on  the  sidewalk,  but  you  could 
not  have  made  head  or  tail  of  the  conversation.  Joey 
repeated  a  single  remark  four  times,  without  being 
heard  by  either  of  his  companions.  It  referred  to  a 
joyful  reunion  and  a  mug  of  ale. 

At  length  Ruby  gave  over  rhapsodizing  on  the  tall- 
ness,  the  broadness  and  the  elegance  of  their  visitor, 
and  rushed  to  the  hall  door.  Raising  her  voice,  she 
called  out  to  some  one  down  the  hall: 

"  Millie ! " 

"  Yes,  Miss  Ruby,"  came  the  instantaneous  response, 
suggesting  a  surprised  propinquity. 

"  Goodness !  I  thought  you  were  downstairs  -— 
But  never  mind!  Don't  forget  what  I  told  you  about 
the  new  radishes." 

"  No,  Miss  Ruby,  they  shall  not  be  forgot,"  said  the 
trim  little  maid,  bobbing  in  the  doorway. 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME     285 

"  Mr.  Jenison  likes  his  waffles  crisp,"  added  Miss 
Noakes.  To  David  she  said :  "  I  love  waffles  and  honey 
for  lunch,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  do,"  responded  David.  "  But  I  did  n't  know  I 
was  to  stop  for  lunch." 

"  Father,  did  n't  you  tell  him  ?  "  demanded  Ruby. 

"  I  surely  did,"  prevaricated  Joey ;  "  but  you  were 
both  talking  so  ,'ard  he  did  n't  'ear  me." 

During  luncheon,  which  was  blissfully  served  by 
Millie,  David  took  occasion  to  compliment  Ruby  on 
her  good  looks,  her  success  and  her  prospects. 

"  Don't  guy  me,  David,"  she  cried,  turning  quite 
red. 

"  If  every  girl  I  know  could  enj  oy  such  improvement 
in  five  years,  I  'm  sure  —  "  began  David  gallantly. 

"  I  suppose  you  're  thinking  of  Christine  Braddock 
when  you  say  that,"  said  she  shrewdly. 

He  had  the  grace  to  blush. 

"  Well,  let  me  tell  you,  David,  she 's  the  prettiest 
thing  on  two  legs  —  I  should  say,  on  two  continents. 
Goodness,  a  girl  does  pick  up  such  awful  expressions 
on  the  stage!  I'm  just  perfectly  awful." 

"  She  is  beautiful? "  asked  David,  his  heart-beats 
quickening. 

"  She  's  what  you  might  call  ravishing,"  proclaimed 
Ruby.  "  And  she  's  very  elegant,  too." 

"  She  don't  forget  'er  old  friends,  though,"  said  Joey 
hastily.  "  She  sent  me  that  geranium  over  there  larst 
month  and  she  —  " 

"  Never  mind,  dad.  David  is  n't  interested  in  her 
or  what  she  does.  Tell  me  about  Colonel  Grand's 
daughter." 

"  How  do  you  happen  to  know  —  " 

"  Oh,  a  little  Dicky-bird  told  me,"  she  said.  "  It  was 
in  the  newspaper  I  take  that  you  and  she  were  at  the 


286  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Springs  at  the  same  time.  Oh,  I  read  the  society  news. 
Is  she  pretty?  " 

"  She  reminds  me  of  her  father." 

"  Then  she  looks  like  that  African  gazelle  we  had 
with  Van  Slye's !  Poor  girl !  " 

"  I  don't  like  her,"  said  David.  Then  he  related  his 
experience  with  the  young  woman.  His  hearers  were 
disgusted  but  not  surprised. 

"  They  're  all  alike,"  commented  Joey.  "  They  're 
bad,  them  Grands  —  father,  mother  and  daughter. 
First  one,  then  the  other  tried  to  bribe  me  and  Ruby. 
I  sometimes  believe  the  wife  's  as  bad  as  he  is,  only  in 
a  different  way." 

They  were  still  seated  at  the  table,  discussing  the 
Grands,  when  a  heavy  knock  came  at  the  front  door. 

"Who  can  that  be?"  said  Joey,  glancing  at  his 
daughter,  who  was  suddenly  quiet.  The  knock  was 
repeated  before  Millie  was  instructed  to  go  to  the  door. 

She  admitted  some  one,  after  a  moment's  parley. 
The  husky,  low-toned  voice  of  a  man  came  to  the  ears 
of  those  in  the  dining-room.  As  Joey  arose  to  investi 
gate,  the  maid  came  in. 

"  It 's  the  same  man  who  was  'ere  yesterday,  Mr. 
Noakes.  He  says  as  he  's  'ungry." 

"  Braddock,"  said  Joey  in  a  half  whisper. 

The  man  was  standing  just  inside  the  front  door; 
his  dim  figure  was  silhouetted  red  against  the  narrow, 
colored  glass  window  in  the  casement.  Something  told 
them  he  was  fumbling  his  hat  and  that  his  head  was 
bent. 

"  Ask  him  to  come  in  here,  father,"  said  Ruby 
promptly.  "  I  can't  bear  to  see  a  man  hungry.  I  don't 
care  who  or  what  he  is." 

Joey  looked  at  David  in  doubt  and  perplexity. 
David,  who  had  clutched  the  back  of  his  chair  with  tense 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME 

fingers,  nodded  his  head.  The  old  man,  obeying  the 
second  but  unvoiced  entreaty  of  his  daughter,  strode 
out  into  the  hall.  They  heard  the  low  mutter  of  mas 
culine  voices,  one  in  evident  protest,  the  other  cordially 
insistent. 

"  He  's  changed  quite  a  bit,"  whispered  Ruby. 

David  rose  to  his  feet  and  stood  staring  blanldy  at 
the  man  who  followed  Joey  into  the  dining-room,  the 
man  who  had  struck  the  never-to-be-forgotten  blow. 
Could  this  gray,  lean,  shuffling  creature  be  the  leonine, 
despotic  Tom  Braddock  of  other  days? 

The  man  stopped  just  inside  the  door  and  fixed  his 
sullen  gaze  steadily  upon  the  face  of  the  Virginian. 
Without  glancing  at  Ruby,  he  uttered  a  curt  "  Howdy 
do,  Ruby." 

"  I  guess  we  ain't  expected  to  shake  hands,"  said 
Braddock,  a  twisted  smile  on  his  lips. 

"  I  can't  shake  the  hand  that  struck  me  as  yours  did 
when  I  could  not  defend  myself,"  said  David  coldly. 

"  'Ere,  'ere,"  remonstrated  Joey  nervously.  "  We 
can't  'ave  any  old  quarrels  took  up  in  my  'ouse." 

"  /  'm  not  quarreling,  Joey,"  said  Braddock,  still 
watching  David's  face.  David  had  the  feeling,  quite 
suddenly,  that  he  was  looking  into  eyes  he  had  never 
seen  before  —  intent,  hard,  steady  eyes  that  were  full 
of  purpose.  They  were  no  longer  blood-shot  and  pro 
truding:  they  seemed  to  slink  back  under  the  pallid, 
bony  brow,  looking  forth  with  a  sort  of  cunning  that 
suggested  a  hiding  animal,  nothing  less. 

The  change  in  Tom  Braddock  was  astounding. 
David  had  always  thought  of  him  as  the  bullying, 
bloated  giant,  purple-faced  and  blear-eyed.  His  face 
was  thin  and  gray  —  with  the  pallor  of  the  prison  still 
upon  it;  his  cheeks  were  sunken,  and  the  heavy  stubble 
of  beard  that  filled  the  hollows  was  a  dirty  white.  One 


288 

would  have  guessed  this  apparition  of  Tom  Braddock 
to  be  sixty  years  of  age,  at  least.  His  hair,  still  rather 
closely  cropped,  was  no  longer  black,  but  a  defiant, 
obtrusive  gray.  The  heavy  neck  was  now  thin  and 
corded ;  the  broad  shoulders  drooped  as  if  deprived  of 
all  their  youthful  power.  His  aggressive  mustache  of 
the  old  days  was  gone,  laying  bare  a  broad,  firmly  set 
lip.  The  cheap  jeans  clothing  that  fell  to  him  when  he 
left  the  penitentiary  hung  loosely  on  his  frame,  for  he 
had  lost  many  pounds ;  the  coat  was  buttoned  close 
about  his  throat,  albeit  the  day  was  warm.  He  wore 
no  collar.  His  "  hickory  "  shirt  was  soiled.  He  had 
slept  in  these  garments  for  many  nights. 

The  contrast  was  appalling.  That  this  cadaverous, 
prideless  individual  could  once  have  been  the  vain-glori 
ous  showman  was  almost  inconceivable.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  David  stared. 

"  Well,  I  guess  you  've  changed  about  as  much  as  I 
have,"  said  Braddock,  reading  the  other's  thoughts. 
He  uttered  a  bitter  laugh  as  he  turned  to  drag  a  chair 
up  to  the  table,  with  something  of  the  assurance  of  old. 

"  I  hope  I  've  changed  as  much  for  the  better  as  you 
have,  Braddock,"  said  David,  and  he  meant  it. 

Braddock  whirled  to  glare  at  him  in  wonder.  He 
was  silent  for  a  moment.  Then  he  flung  himself  into 
the  chair,  his  jaws  setting  themselves  firmly,  no  trace 
of  the  sarcastic  smile  remaining. 

"  I  guess  you  have,  David,"  he  said  shortly. 
"  You  're  not  what  you  were  when  you  j  oined  us  five 
years  ago."  A  sneer  came  to  his  lips.  "  What  a  high 
and  mighty  chap  you  've  come  to  be.  No  wonder  you 
won't  shake  hands  with  a  jail-bird." 

"  Stop  talking,  Tom  Braddock,"  said  Ruby,  a  gleam 
of  anxiety  in  her  eyes.  "  Here 's  what  9s  left  of  the 
lamb  and  here  's  —  " 


"  Wait  a  minute,  Ruby,"  said  he.  With  his  elbows 
on  the  edge  of  the  table  and  his  chin  in  his  broad, 
sinewy  hands  he  leaned  forward  and  spoke  again  to 
David.  "  I  've  been  out  three  weeks.  I  was  up  there 
for  two  years  and  a  half.  I  'm  just  telling  you  this 
so  's  you  '11  know  why  I  've  changed.  The  whiskey  's 
all  out  of  me.  There  never  will  be  any  more  inside  of 
me,  do  you  understand  that?  Ten  years  ago  I  was 
a  man  —  was  n't  I,  Joey  ?  I  was  a  dog  when  you  knew 
me,  Jenison.  Now,  I  'm  a  man  again.  See  these  hands? 
Well,  they  've  been  doing  honest  work,  even  if  it  was 
in  a  convict  barrel  factory.  I  'm  ten  times  stronger 
than  I  was  before.  There  is  n't  a  soft  muscle  in  my 
body.  What  you  miss  is  the  fat  —  the  whiskey  fat. 
I  'm  gray-headed,  but  who  would  n't  be  ?  But  that 
is  not  what  I  'm  trying  to  get  at.  I  saw  Dick  Cronk 
this  morning.  I  don't  know  how  he  found  me.  He 
told  me  you  were  up  here  to  take  a  hand  in  my 
affairs.  What  I  want  to  know,  right  here,  Jenison, 
is  this:  Where  is  your  friend  Bob  Grand  and  where  is 
she?  " 

He  spoke  quite  calmly,  but  there  was  a  deliberate 
menace  in  his  tones.  David  was  startled.  An  angry 
retort  leaped  to  his  lips,  but  he  choked  it  back. 

"  You  are  very  much  mistaken,  Braddock,  if  you 
consider  me  the  friend  of  Colonel  Grand.  I  hate  him 
quite  as  bitterly  as  you  do.  I  —  " 

"  Oh,  no,  you  don't,"  snapped  the  other.  "  No  one 
in  all  this  world,  from  its  very  beginning,  has  ever  hated 
as  I  hate." 

"  He  is  no  friend  of  mine,"  .reiterated  David.  "  I 
think  you  know  me  well  enough  to  believe  that  I  do  not 
He.  I  have  not  seen  him  in  five  years." 

Braddock  stared  hard  at  him.  Suddenly  he  leaned 
back  with  a  deep  breath  of  relief.  "  I  believe  you," 

19 


290  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

he  said.  u  You  don't  know  how  to  lie.  Well,  what 
are  you  doing  here,  then,  mixing  in  my  affairs?  " 

"We'll  talk  about  that  later  on,"  said  David. 
"  Here  is  food,  man.  Eat.  You  are  half-starved. 
Have  you  no  money?  " 

"  Money  ?  Say,  do  you  think  they  pay  you  up 
tliere?  I  am  hungry.  Not  a  mouthful  since  yester 
day  noon.  Before  1  touch  this  grub,  Joey,  I  want 
to  say  to  you  that  I  don't  deserve  it  of  you.  I  sold 
you  all  out.  I  was  n't  square  with  you.  But  it  was 
drink  and  —  and  that  devil  behind  me  all  the  time. 
I  took  your  pocket-book  that  night,  David.  I  stole 
it.  I  guess  I  was  crazy  most  of  the  time  in  those  days. 
I  don't  say  I  'It  ever  pay  it  back.  I  'm  not  apologizing 
for  it,  either.  I  'm  just  telling  you.  I  meant  to  get 
all  you  had,  but  —  well,  I  was  n't  mean  enough  to 
crack  you  over  the  head.  It  would  have  been  the  only 
way  —  " 

"  Don't  speak  of  it,  Braddock,"  interrupted  Jenison 
painfully.  "  That 's  all  past  and  gone." 

"  I  've  paid  for  some  of  my  sins  —  but  not  all  of 
'em,"  said  Braddock.  "  Not  all  of  'em." 

He  fell  to  eating  ravenously.  The  others  sat  back, 
sfiff  and  uncomfortable,  watching  him.  His  sunken  but 
powerful  jaws  crunched  the  food  with  some  of  the  fe 
rocity  of  a  beast.  It  came  forcefully  to  the  minds  of  the 
two  men  that  they  were  looking  upon  a  man  whose 
great  sinews  were  of  steel,  who  could  have  crushed  either 
of  them  in  the  long,  hard  arms  that  stretched  forth  to 
seize  the  food  Ruby  had  placed  before  him.  They  were 
slowly  coming  to  realize  the  bent  of  this  man's  mind 
during  its  savage  development  in  prison.  He  had 
slaved  to  a  purpose.  The  same  thought  grew  in  the 
mind  of  each  observer:  what  chance  would  Robert 
Grand  have  in  the  naked  hands  of  his  enemy? 


Joey  was  the  first  to  broach  the  subject. 

"  Brad,"  he  said  soothingly,  "  you  want  to  think 
twice  before  you  do  anything  desperate." 

Braddock  gave  an  ugly  laugh  as  he  jabbed  a  fork 
into  a  piece  of  meat. 

"  Joey,"  he  said,  "  I  *ve  already  thougRt  ten  thou 
sand  times." 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do?  **  asked  David. 

"  I  'm  going  to  get  square  with  Bob  Grand,"  said 
he  very  quietly.  **  I  'm  not  going  to  be  rash  about 
it.  I  'm  going  to  take  my  tinle  and  be  sure." 

"  We  '11  have  to  do  something  to  prevent  —  "  began 
David. 

"  You  can't  do  anything.  I  'm  not  saying  what  I  'm 
going  to  do  fo  him,  so  don't  get  fidgety." 

"  You  intend  to  kill  him !  " 

"  He  sent  me  up,  did  n't  he?  Without  cause,  too. 
He  swore  me  into  the  pen.  Said  I  tried  to  kill  him. 
I  never  tried  it.  He  owed  me  money.  I  asked  him  for 
it."  He  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet.  "  By  Jove,  I 
try  not  to  think  that  she  had  anything,  to  do  with  it. 
I  don't  want  to  believe  it  of  her." 

"  She  did  n't  'ave  anything  to  do  with  it,"  cried  Joey. 
"  Get  that  idea  out  of  your  'ead.  You  treated  'er  like 
a  dog,  Brad,  but  she  never  turned  on  you  like  that.  I 
can  swear  it." 

Braddock  went  over  to  the  window  and  stared  out 
upon  the  little  garden.  A  long  interval  of  silence  en 
sued  before  he  turned  to  face  the  others. 

"  Don't  look  so  scared,  Ruby,"  he  said,  noting  the 
girl's  expression.  "  I  'm  not  going  to  hurt  her.  I 
guess  I  've  hurt  her  enough  already.  She  's  living  as 
she  'd  ought  to  live,  and  so  is  —  so  is  Christine.  I  'm 
not  going  to  begrudge  them  anything.  But  I  'm  go 
ing  to  have  a  talk  with  her."  His  manner  was  ugly. 


292  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  'm  going  to  ask  her  two  questions.  She  '11  tell  me 
the  truth,  I  know.  That 's  aU  I  ask." 

"  She  has  always  hated  Bob  Grand,"  cried  Ruby, 
"  if  that 's  what  you  mean." 

"That 's  what  I  mean.  But  I  'm  going  to  ask  her  just 
how  much  he  has  pestered  her  since  —  well,  since  that 
time  with  the  show.  I  'm  going  to  ask  her  if  she  knows 
what  I  did  to  her  in  the  sale  of  my  interest.  I  'm  going 
to  find  out  if  he  told  her.  Oh,  you  need  n't  worry !  I 
won't  do  anything  to  hurt  her  or  Christine.  If  she 
don't  know  already  what  I  did  to  her,  I  'r  going  to  tell 
her  myself.  If  I  get  a  chance  to  see  my  g.  1,  I  'm  going 
to  tell  her  just  what  I  did  to  her  mother." 

"  Braddock,  you  must  listen  to  reason  !  "  cried  David. 
"  No  good  can  come  of  this.  They  are  happy  and 
contented.  Don't  spoil  it  all  for  them.  Go  away,  man. 
Try  to  forget  your  grievance  against  Colonel  Grand. 
God  will  punish  him  and  —  " 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  came  here  for  to-day,  Jenison," 
said  Braddock  levelly.  "  Dick  says  you  're  still  crazy 
about  my  —  about  Christine.  He  swears  you  have  n't 
seen  her  in  five  years  —  some  kind  of  a  promise  my  wife 
made,  he  says.  I  came  to  ask  you  this  question :  will 
it  make  any  difference  in  your  intentions  regarding 
her  if  I  —  if  her  father  should  happen  to  end  his  life 
on  the  scaffold?  I  don't  say  feelings,  mind  you, — 
I  said  intentions." 

"  I  mean  it.  Would  you  still  want  her  if  —  if  it 
turned  out  that  way  ?  " 

David  looked  helplessly  from  Joey  to  Ruby  and 
then  at  the  set,  emotionless  face  of  the  questioner. 

"  Braddock,  I  can  tell  you  this  from  my  soul :  noth 
ing  you  may  do  will  alter  my  feelings  or  my  intentions. 
Christine  is  in  no  way  responsible  for  your  transgres- 


THE    MAN    WHO    SERVED    HIS    TIME     293 

sions.  I  am  only  sorry  that  she  has  such  a  father.  If 
she  still  cares  for  me,  I  shall  ask  her  to  be  my  wife, 
even  though  you  are  strung  up  a  hundred  times.  But 
this  is  beside  the  question.  You  should  think  of  her 
happiness,  her  peace  of  mind.  All  her  life  she  will  have 
to  think  of  you  as  a  —  a  —  well,  I  won't  say  it. 
You  —  " 

"  I  '11  say  it  for  you,"  interrupted  the  gray-faced 
listener :  "  as  a  gallows  bird  —  as  scaffold  fruit." 

"  Please  don't,  Tom,"  cried  Ruby. 

"  You  would  better  a  thousand  times  shoot  yourself 
than  to  bring  that  black  shadow  into  her  life,"  said 
David.  "  Suicide  is  bad  enough  but  —  ugh !  "  He 
shuddered. 

"  Look  here,  Jenison,  I  might  have  been  a  good  man 
if  it  had  n't  been  for  Bob  Grand.  I  always  would  have 
been  a  showman,  I  reckon,  but  I  'd  have  been  fairly  self- 
respecting.  To-day,  instead  of  being  what  I  am,  I  'd 
still  have  the  love  of  my  wife,  the  respect  of  my  girl, 
and  —  oh,  well,  you  can't  understand.  You  all  are 
against  me  —  and  have  been  for  years.  I  don't  blame 
you  —  not  a  bit  of  it.  I  deserve  it.  Grand  deliber 
ately  set  out  to  ruin  me  —  to  pull  me  down.  You 
know  why.  We  won't  go  into  that.  I  happen  to  know 
he  afterwards  paid  her  a  lot  of  money  for  her  interest 
in  the  business.  When  she  tells  me  it  was  a  square 
transaction  I  '11  believe  it,  but  not  before." 

He  paced  the  floor,  his  hands  in  his  coat  pockets, 
his  brows  drawn  down  in  a  thoughtful  scowl. 

"  You  can  stop  me,  I  suppose,  by  having  me  locked 
up  —  but  you  can't  keep  me  there  forever.  I  '11  get 
out  some  time.  I  don't  say  I  'm  going  to  shoot  Bob 
Grand,  if  want  you  all  to  bear  witness  to  this  state 
ment:  whatever  I  do  to  him  will  be  with  these  two 
hands.  See  'em?  Don't  they  look  competent?  He 


294  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

did  n't  use  weapons  on  me,  and  I  'm  not  going  to  use 
'em  on  him.  It 's  just  a  case  of  who  has  the  best  hands 
in  this  little  game." 

"  Why,  man,  it  would  be  cowardly  in  you  to  put  your 
strength  against  his.  You  could  crush  him,"  groaned 
David. 

Braddock  smiled,  almost  joyously.  "Won't  it  be  a 
pretty  sight?  My  hands  on  that  fat  neck  of  his !  Ha !  " 

"  And  the  'angman's  rope  on  that  neck  of  yours," 
put  in  Joey,  wiping  his  moist  forehead. 

"  That 's  not  the  point,"  said  Thomas  Braddock. 

He  picked  up  his  hat,  which  he  had  cast  upon  a 
chair,  and,  without  another  word  to  either  of  them  — 
no  word  of  thanks  to  Ruby,  no  word  of  appreciation 
to  David,  no  word  of  gratitude  to  Joey  —  he  strode 
out  into  the  hall,  through  the  door  and  down  the  steps. 

They  sat  still  looking  at  each  other  for  a  long  time. 

"  He  can't  do  it  to-day,"  said  Joey  in  hushed  tones. 
"  The  man  's  still  out  o'  town." 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE    DELIVERY    OF    A    TELEGRAM 

ON  David's  return  to  the  hotel  he  found  a  hastily 
scrawled  note  from  Artful  Dick  Cronk.  He  had  re 
mained  at  the  Noakes'  until  mid-afternoon,  discussing 
the  sinister  attitude  of  Thomas  Braddock.  Joey  stub 
bornly  maintained  that  it  was  worse  than  useless  to 
have  the  man  locked  up ;  it  would  merely  delay  the 
consummation  of  his  purpose,  and  it  would  add  fuel 
to  the  fierce  flames  that  already  were  consuming  his 
brain.  He  was  for  temporizing  methods,  attended  by 
shrewd  efforts  to  keep  the  enemies  apart.  It  was  his 
opinion  that  Braddock  would  listen  to  reason  before 
many  days.  Certainly  there  could  be  no  immediate 
danger  with  Grand  out  of  the  city.  Jenison  at  last 
came  to  his  way  of  thinking,  although  not  without  a 
twinge  of  misgiving.  He  had  no  respect,  no  sympathy 
for  Braddock.  It  was  his  firm  opinion  that  the  man 
had  in  no  way  reformed ;  that  he  was  as  bad,  if  not 
woree,  than  ever,  for  now  he  was  himself  and  not  crazed 
by  drink. 

Dick's  note  bore  the  disturbing  news  that  Colonel 
Grand  had  returned  to  town,  and  that  Mrs.  Braddock 
was  expect-- d  the  following  day.  Ernie  had  obtained 
this  information  through  the  friendly  Portman  ser 
vant,  who  (to  quote  Dick)  affected  the  hunchback's 
society  because  he  believed  that  the  "  touching  of  a 
hump  would  bring  good  luck !  "  Old  Mr.  Portman,  it 
was  given  out,  was  on  his  way  to  his  summer  place  in 
the  Adirondacks.  Naturally  he  would  be  accompanied 


296  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

by  his  daughter  and  Christine.  They  were  due  to  ar 
rive  at  four  o'clock,  and  expected  to  remain  in  town 
for  ten  days  before  going  up  to  the  cool  hills.  The 
closing  sentences  of  the  pickpocket's  note  were  quaintly 
satirical :  "  Brad  says  he  can't  afford  to  be  seen  in  my 
company.  You  know  how  politely  he  would  say  it, 
don't  you?  He  says  he  can't  take  chances  now.  But 
I  staked  him  to  a  bed  for  to-night  and  I  told  him  I  'd 
give  him  grub  money.  It  seemed  to  tender  him  up  a 
bit.  He  's  hanging  round  with  Ernie  to-day  and  I  'm 
going  to  see  him  to-night.  Did  I  tell  you  that  Ernie 
has  a  little  apartment  all  to  himself  over  on  Fourth 
Avenue?  He  's  some  elegant.  Of  course,  it  won't  do 
for  me  to  be  seen  around  his  shack  much.  I  might 
accidentally  give  the  place  a  bad  name,  see?  Well, 
I  '11  close,  but  will  write  again  to-morrow.  DICK. 
P.  S.  They  come  in  on  the  Pennsylvania." 

David  spent  a  miserable  night.  He  was  obsessed  by 
the  fear  that  Braddock  would  seek  out  Grand  that  very 
night,  and  that  it  would  all  be  over  in  the  morning.  At 
breakfast  he  scanned  the  newspapers  closely,  half 
expecting  to  find  the  dreaded  head-lines.  As  the  morn 
ing  wore  away  his  spirits  lifted.  He  had  made  up  his 
mind  to  go  to  the  railway  station.  From  an  obscure 
corner  he  would  see  her  without  being  seen.  It  was 
his  whim  to  see  her  first  in  this  manner,  to  stare  to  his 
soul's  content,  to  compare  her  in  the  flesh  to  the  glori 
ous  picture  his  brain  had  painted.  He  made  no  doubt 
that  she  would  far  surpass  the  portrait  in  his  mind: 
did  not  Ruby  say  she  was  ravishingly  beautiful?  His 
heart  leaped  fiercely  to  the  project  in  hand;  more  than 
once  he  found  himself  growing  faint  with  the  intensity 
of  yearning  and  impatience. 

He  took  Joey  and  Ruby  to  luncheon  at  Delmonico's. 
All  through  the  meal  he  was  busy  picturing  to  himself 


THE    DELIVERY    OF    A    TELEGRAM     297 

the  girl  who  was  whirling  northward,  nearer  and  nearer 
to  him  with  each  minute  of  time.  She  would  be  tall 
and  slender  and  shapely.  His  mind's  eye  traveled  back 
ward.  Her  hair  would  be  brown  —  But,  even  as  he 
constructed  her  to  please  his  eager  imagination,  he 
quailed  before  the  spectre  of  doubt:  was  the  heart  of 
the  girl  of  fifteen  unchanged  in  the  woman  of  twenty? 

Ruby  was  glibly  telling  him  of  the  young  men  who 
paid  court  to  the  granddaughter  of  old  Mr.  Portman. 
Both  she  and  Joey  found  rich  enjoyment  in  the  fact 
that  these  sprigs  of  gentility  knew  nothing  of  the  circus- 
riding  epoch  in  Christine's  life ;  they  wondered  what 
the  effect  would  be  when  the  truth  came  out.  Joey 
ventured  the  opinion  that  "  the  devil  would  be  to  pay," 
and  Ruby  added  the  prophecy  that  "  they  would  drop 
her  like  a  hot  poker."  Strange  to  say,  David  found 
considerable  satisfaction  in  these  dolorous  predictions. 

He  caught  the  ferry  soon  after  luncheon,  and  was 
in  the  station  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  long  before 
the  train  was  due. 

Buying  a  newspaper,  he  took  a  seat  in  a  far  corner 
of  the  concourse.  He  read  but  little  and  that  without 
understanding.  His  mind  was  quite  fully  occupied  in 
peering  over  the  top  of  the  sheet  in  the  direction  of  the 
sheds.  Finally  he  became  convinced,  by  certain  psychic 
processes  of  the  mind,  that  some  one  was  staring  at 
him.  He  looked  about  in  all  directions.  At  last  his 
eyes  rested  on  a  squat,  misshapen  figure  far  over  by 
the  ferry  entrance. 

He  had  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  Ernie  Cronk. 
His  presence  there  was  disquieting  in  more  than  one 
sense.  Dick  ^ad  said  that  Braddock  was  "  hanging 
'round "  with  his  brother.  This,  of  itself,  was  suffi 
cient  to  create  alarm  in  David's  mind.  He  searched 
the  scurrying  throng  for  a  glimpse  of  the  drab,  sinister 


298  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

figure  of  Christine's  father,  all  the  while  conscious  that 
Ernie  Cronk's  baleful  gaze  was  upon  him.  The  beady 
eyes  seemed  to  penetrate  shifting  obstructions,  never 
changing,  never  wavering. 

David  considered  briefly,  and  then  decided  to  consult 
the  cripple.  As  he  made  his  way  over  to  him  he  noted 
that  Ernie  was  flashily  dressed,  almost  to  the  point 
of  grotesqueness.  One  might  have  forgiven  the  vivid 
checked  suit  on  the  person  of  a  buoyant  barber,  but  it 
was  grewsome  in  its  present  occupation.  Its  gaudy, 
insistent  cheapness  leaped  out  at  the  observer  with 
much  the  same  appeal  for  favor  that  one  imputes  to 
the  garments  of  a  clown.  One  might  have  read  the 
envy  in  Ernie's  soul  as  his-  eyes  swept  the  tall,  straight, 
simply  clad  Southerner  who  approached.  He  stood  his 
ground  defiantly,  however ;  there  was  no  smile  of  friend 
liness  on  his  thin  lips. 

"  Hello,  Ernie,"  said  David.  Ernie's  arms  were 
folded  across  his  breast.  As  he  gave  no  sign  of  unfold 
ing  them,  David  did  not  proffer  his  hand. 

"  Yon  don't  have  to  sp£ak  to  me  if  you  don't  want 
to,"  muttered  Ernie,  his  eyes  snapping. 

"  Where  is  Braddock? "  asked  the  other,  imper- 
turbably. 

The  rat-like  eyes  glittered  with  a  cunning  smile. 
"  Don't  ask  me.  Got  you  worried,  eh?  " 

"  We  are  trying  to  'keep  him  from  hurting  Christine, 
that 's  all,"  said  Dajjid  tactfully. 

"  He  ain't  going  to  do  that,"  said  Ernie  quickly. 
A  shadow  of  anxiety  crept  into  his  face,  however. 
"  He  9s  after  Grand." 

"  Just  the  same,  we  are  afraid.     Is  he  here  ?  " 

"  No.  He 's  asleep  at  my  place,  if  that  '11  do  you 
any  good.  I  'm  not  going  to  turn  against  her  father, 
which  is  more  than  the  rest  of  you  can  say.  You  can 


THE    DELIVERY    OF    A    TELEGRAM     299 

tell  her,  if  you  want  to,  that  I  'm  still  his  friend."  It 
was  plain  to  be  seen  that  he  was  adopting  this  pitiful 
policy  as  a  means  of  gaining  the  attention  of  the  other 
wise  unapproachable  Christine.  **  He  was  up  all  night 
—  looking!  " 

"  For  Grand?  " 

"  I  did  n't  ask,"  leered  the  hunchback.  Suddenly  his 
eyes  flew  wide  open.  He  was  staring  past  Jenison. 
"  Say !  Speaking  of  angels,  look  behind  you." 

David  turned.  Not  twenty  feet  away  stood  Colonel 
Grand,  twirling  a  light  walking-stick  and  surveying 
the  throng  with  disinterested  eyes.  He  had  seen  and 
ignored  Ernie,  but  had  failed  to  recognize  the  young 
man  whose  back  was  toward  him. 

David  experienced  a  sickening  sense  of  disappoint 
ment.  His  heart  sank  like  lead.  Grand's  presence  in 
the  station  could  have  but  one  meaning.  A  great  wave 
of  revulsion  swept  through  the  Virginian.  He  forgot 
the  anticipated  joy  of  the  moment  before  in  contem 
plation  of  this  significant  proof  of  an  understanding. 

His  lips  were  dry.  He  moistened  them.  Ernie,  ob 
serving  the  movement,  concluded  that  he  was  muttering 
something  to  himself. 

"  Say  it  to  his  face,  why  don't  you?  "  he  recom 
mended  sarcastically.  Before  David  could  interpose, 
the  hunchback  called  out  to  Colonel  Grand.  The  latter 
turned  quickly.  For  a  moment  he  stared  intently  at 
the  face  of  the  tall  young  man.  Suddenly  light  broke 
in  upon  him. 

"  Why,  it 's  Jenison,"  he  exclaimed,  and  advanced, 
an  amiable  smile  on  his  lips.  David  ignored  the  hand 
that  he  extended ;  he  could  only  stare,  as  if  fascinated, 
at  the  puffy  face  of  the  speaker. 

Grand  had  altered  but  little  in  appearance  during 
the  five  years  that  had  passed.  He  seemed  to  have 


300  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

grown  no  older,  nor  was  he  less  repulsive  to  look  upon. 
As  of  old,  he  was  carefully,  even  immaculately  dressed. 

Ernie  Cronk  moved  away.  They  might  have  heard 
him  chuckling  softly  to  himself. 

"  Let  me  see,  it 's  five  years,  is  n't  it?  "  went  on  the 
Colonel  suavely.  He  did  not  appear  to  resent  David's 
omission.  "  You  've  changed  considerably.  The  mus 
tache  improves  you,  I  think." 

His  voice  was  as  oily  as  ever,  his  eyes  and  his  nose 
as  sheep-like.  Something  arose  in  David's  throat,  bring 
ing  a  certain  hoarseness  to  his  voice. 

"  Time  has  not  affected  you,  Colonel,"  he  retorted. 

"  So  they  tell  me,"  said  the  other.  "  Are  you  waiting 
to  meet  some  one?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  David,  and  nothing  more. 

The  Colonel  twirled  his  stick.  "  My  daughter  is 
arriving  by  the  four-twenty,"  he  announced.  "  Beastly 
old  station,  this.  What  a  godsend  a  destructive  fire 
would  prove  if  it  took  it  from  one  end  to  the  other." 

"  Your  daughter  is  coming? "  asked  David.  The 
note  of  eagerness  and  relief  in  his  voice  caused  the 
other's  eyes  to  narrow  suddenly. 

"  You  've  met  her,  I  believe,"  he  said,  studying 
David's  face. 

"  Once,  —  at  the  Springs." 

"  She  's  coming  rather  unexpectedly  to  make  me  an 
extended  visit.  I  should  deem  it  quite  an  honor,  David, 
if  you  would  give  us  the  pleasure  of  your  company  some 
evening  for  dinner  — 

"  My  stay  here  is  to  be  very  brief,  Colonel  Grand, 
and  my  time  is  entirely  taken  up,"  said  David  coldly. 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  said  the  Colonel,  shrugging  his  shoul 
ders  in  self-commiseration. 

It  was  on  the  tip  of  David's  tongue  to  ask  him  if 
he  knew  of  Thomas  Braddock's  presence  in  town,  but 


THE    DELIVERY   OF    A    TELEGRAM     301 

timely  reflection  convinced  him  that  it  would  be  unwise. 
The  Colonel,  in  his  alarm,  might  set  about  to  have  Brad- 
dock  hunted  down  and  confined  without  delay ;  and 
there  was  no  telling  what  crime  he  would  lay  at  Brad- 
dock's  door  in  order  to  secure  long  imprisonment. 

"  I  met  your  wife,  also,  at  the  Springs,"  said  David, 
coolly  substituting  the  thrust. 

The  Colonel  frowned  slightly.  "  You  are  doubtless 
aware  that  my  wife  and  I  are  no  longer  living  together," 
he  said,  his  lips  straightening. 

"  I  have  heard  something  to  that  effect,"  said  David 
easily,  —  so  easily  that  the  other  could  not  mistake  the 
insolence  of  the  remark. 

Grand  flushed.  "  I  am  happy  to  say,  young  man,  that 
my  train  is  pulling  in.  I  must  therefore  deny  myself 
the  pleasure  of  conversing  with  you  any  longer.  Good- 
day,  sir." 

He  did  not  bow  as  he  turned  away.  A  moment  later 
he  was  threading  his  way  through  the  crowd.  David 
sauntered  over  to  his  first  place  of  waiting,  a  smile  on 
his  lips.  He  was  immensely  relieved  now,  and  not  a  little 
ashamed  of  a  certain  unworthy  suspicion. 

He  fixed  his  eager  gaze  on  the  throng  of  people  that 
came  up  from  the  train,  pouring  into  the  big  waiting- 
room.  First,  he  saw  Roberta  Grand  as  she  came  rush 
ing  up  to  her  father.  He  was  struck  by  the  swift  change 
that  came  over  the  Colonel's  face,  who  stared  in  amaze 
ment  over  the  girl's  shoulder,  even  as  he  embraced  her. 
David  allowed  his  gaze  to  return  to  the  oncoming  crowd. 

Mary  Braddock  approached,  apparently  unconscious 
of  the  presence  of  either  of  her  old  associates.  She 
walked  beside  a  decrepit  old  gentleman  whom  David  at 
once  surmised  to  be  Albert  Portman.  A  maid  and  a 
male  attendant  followed  close  behind.  Christine  was 
not  in  sight. 


302  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Mrs.  Braddock  saw  Grand  when  not  more  than  half 
a  dozen  paces  separated  them.  She  almost  stopped  in 
her  tracks.  David  detected  the  look  of  surprise  and 
dismay  in  her  face.  She  and  Grand  were  staring  hard 
at  each  other,  but  neither  made  the  slightest  pretense 
of  anything  more  than  visual  recognition.  She  averted 
her  gaze  after  a  moment  of  uncertainty,  and,  with  her 
head  erect,  passed  close  by  the  Colonel  and  his  daugh 
ter,  both  of  whom  were  scrutinizing  her  with  brazen 
interest. 

She  did  not  see  David  Jenison,  although  he  might 
have  touched  her  by  moving  two  steps  forward.  Dis 
concerted  by  the  rude,  insolent  stare  that  was  leveled 
jointly  by  her  old  enemy  and  his  daughter,  a  vivid  flush 
mantled  her  cheek  and  brow. 

Time  had  made  few  changes  in  her  appearance.  Her 
face  was  softer,  gentler  if  possible ;  her  carriage  was 
as  erect  and  as  proud  as  ever.  She  was  modestly,  unob 
trusively  attired,  as  David  expected  she  would  be. 

After  she  had  passed,  the  young  man  turned  his 
attention  again  to  the  crowd,  his  nerves  jumping  with 
eagerness.  Christine  was  sure  to  be  not  far  behind  her 
mother. 

He  saw  her  at  last,  a  laggard  at  the  end  of  the  hurry 
ing  procession.  She  passed  close  by  him.  He  stood 
motionless,  seeing  no  one  else,  thinking  of  no  one  but 
this  slim,  adorable  girl  who  had  no  eyes  for  him.  At 
her  side  strode  a  tall,  good-looking  fellow  whose  man 
ner  toward  her  could  be  mistaken  for  nothing  short  of 
simple  adoration. 

She  was  smiling  brightly,  even  rapturously  up  into 
the  eyes  of  this  eager  swain.  In  another  instant  they 
were  lost  in  the  crowd  that  rushed  to  the  ferry,  but 
David  was  never  to  forget  that  passing  glimpse  of  her 
—  not  to  the  day  of  his  death. 


THE    DELIVERY    OF    A    TELEGRAM     303 

She  was  all  that  his  fondest  dreams,  all  that  his 
fairest  prophecies,  had  promised  —  nay,  she  surpassed 
them ! 

The  pure,  girlish  face  —  the  one  of  the  deep,  earnest 
eyes  and  tender  lips  —  had  been  toned  and  perfected 
and  rechiseled  by  the  magic  hand  of  Time.  She  was 
taller  by  several  inches ;  a  lissome  creature  who  moved 
with  the  sureness  and  grace  of  an  almost  exalted 
symmetry. 

His  dazzled,  gleaming  eyes  followed  her  into  the  vor 
tex  below.  A  vast  wave  of  exultation  suddenly  rushed 
over  him.  He  had  held  her  in  his  arms  —  he  had  kissed 
this  beautiful,  j  oyous  creature  —  this  product  of  en 
chantment!  Now,  more  than  ever,  was  he  resolved  to 
claim  her  for  his  own.  It  was  as  good  as  settled,  in  his 
enraptured  mind !  Nothing  could  keep  her  from  him 
now.  He  had  loved  her,  he  had  waited  for  her,  and  he 
would  have  her  in  spite  of  everything. 

What  could  it  matter  to  him  that  she  was  coveted  by 
all  the  men  who  knew  her?  He  rejoiced  in  the  fact 
that  they  were  at  her  feet.  It  was  left  for  him  to  look 
down  upon  them  in  the  end,  and  smile  with  all  the  arro 
gance  of  triumphant  possession ! 

Even  as  he  exulted,  a  dissolving  element  was  flung 
upon  the  crystal  in  which  he  saw  his  own  glorification. 
A  harsh,  discordant  voice  was  speaking  at  his  elbow. 
He  turned.  Ernie  Cronk  was  standing  beside  him.  It 
required  a  moment  of  concentration  on  the  part  of  the 
infatuated  David  to  grasp  the  significance  of  a  cer 
tain  livid  hue  in  Ernie's  face.  The  hunchback  was 
looking  up  at  him.  His  eyes  were  bleak  with  unhappi- 
ness.  There  was  no  anger  in  them:  only  despair. 

"  That 's  the  fellow,"  he  was  saying,  his  voice  crack 
ing  hoarsely.  "  He  's  the  one  she  *s  in  love  with/' 

David  started.  "  You  mean  —  she  's  in  love  with 
him?  "  he  demanded  blankly. 


304  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"That's  Bertie  Stanfield.  He's  a  great  swell. 
He  was  here  to  meet  her.  I  saw  him.  It 's  —  it 's  no 
use,  David.  No  one  else  has  got  a  show."  His  inclu 
sion  of  David  in  his  own  misfortune,  though  by  infer 
ence,  would  have  been  amusing  at  another  time.  Some 
how,  at  this  moment,  it  struck  David  as  tragic.  Was 
it  possible  that  he  was  to  find  himself  in  the  same  boat 
with  this  unhappy,  uncouth  worshiper? 

He  pulled  hard  at  the  end  of  his  short  mustache,  and 
swallowed  hard  with  involuntary  abruptness. 

"I  —  I  have  heard  of  him,"  he  said,  a  sudden  chill 
creeping  into  his  veins. 

"Did  she  —  did  she  speak  to  you?"  asked  Ernie. 
The  hard  look  was  creeping  back  into  his  eyes. 

"  She  did  n't  see  me,"  muttered  David. 

"  She  spoke  to  me.  She  always  does,"  said  Ernie, 
twisting  his  fingers.  "  But,"  he  went  on,  almost  in  a 
wail,  "  it 's  because  she  —  she  pities  me !  " 

David's  heart  was  touched.  He  laid  his  hand  on 
Cronk's  shoulder  and  was  about  to  speak  kindly  to  him. 
The  other  drew  back,  shaking  off  the  compassionate 
hand. 

"  None  o'  that,  now.  I  don't  need  any  pity  from 
you.  Keep  your  trap  closed  about  me."  He  jammed 
his  hands  into  his  coat  pockets  and  allowed  his  gaze  to 
travel  toward  the  ferry  entrance.  The  despondent  note 
returned  to  his  voice.  "  Shall  we  take  this  boat  or 
wait  for  the  next?  "  he  asked.  It  was  as  if  he  had 
said :  "  We  are  companions  in  misery,  you  and  I. 
Let 's  make  the  best  of  it." 

David  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  oddly.  The 
humor  of  the  situation  struck  him  all  at  once;  but 
the  smile  of  derision  died  on  his  lips.  After  all,  per 
haps  he  was  in  the  discard  with  Ernie  Cronk. 

"  I  'm  going  to  catch  this  boat,"  he  said  decisively. 


THE    DELIVERY    OF   A    TELEGRAM    305 

He  started  off,  followed  by  his  unchosen  comrade,  and 
caught  the  boat  almost  as  it  cast  off  in  the  slip. 

Mrs.  Braddock  and  Christine  were  far  forward. 
They  were  chatting  gayly  with  the  blonde  Mr.  Stan- 
field,  who  appeared  to  be  giving  them  the  latest  news 
of  the  town.  Old  Mr.  Portman  sat  against  the  deck 
house. 

David  watched  the  little  group  at  the  rail  from  a 
safe  distance.  He  allowed  his  fancy  full  play ;  his  hopes 
rebounded;  his  confidence  revived.  By  the  time  the 
ferry-boat  was  locked  in  the  Manhattan  slip  he  was 
buoyant  with  the  hope  and  resolution  of  unconquered 
youth.  He  would  win  her  away  from  them  all. 

All  the  way  across  the  river  he  had  been  aware  of 
Colonel  Grand's  close  proximity  to  the  little  party  of 
three.  He  stood,  with  Roberta,  across  the  forward 
deck,  leaning  against  the  rail,  his  arms  folded.  At  no 
time  did  he  withdraw  his  gaze  from  the  figure  of  Mary 
Braddock.  Her  back  was  toward  him,  —  resolutely, 
it  seemed  to  David,  —  and  she  must  have  been  con 
scious  of  the  carnal  eyes  bent  upon  her.  Somehow 
David  had  the  feeling  that  she  was  battling  against  the 
impulse  to  turn  in  response  to  the  hypnotic  command. 

He  hung  back,  biding  his  time,  until  the  party  had 
disappeared  inside  the  ferry  building.  Then  he  hastened 
toward  one  of  the  exits,  intent  on  securing  a  cab.  He 
had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  accost  them ;  he  would  not 
present  himself  unexpectedly  at  a  time  and  place  when 
embarrassment  to  them  might  be  the  result. 

From  somewhere  at  the  edge  of  the  crowd  a  thin, 
sardonic  voice  called  out  to  him: 

"  So  long,  David.  You  know  how  it  feels  yourself 
now,  don't  you  ?  "  He  knew  who  the  speaker  was  with 
out  looking. 

Mrs.  Braddock  was  standing  at  the  counter  of  the 

20 


306  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

telegraph  office  near  one  of  the  street  doors.  He  did 
not  see  her  until  he  was  almost  upon  her.  She  was 
alone  and  engaged  in  writing  out  a  telegram.  His 
plans  were  altered  in  an  instant*  A  moment  later,  he 
was  at  her  side,  his  face  flushed  and  eager. 

For  many  seconds  she  stared  wonderingly  into  his 
smiling  eyes.  Before  uttering  a  word  she  glanced  at 
the  message  she  had  finished  and  was  about  to  hand  it 
to  the  clerk;  then  her  gaze  returned  to  his  face. 

"  David  Jenison,"  she  said,  and  there  was  something 
like  awe  in  her  voice,  "  is  it  really  you  ?  How  strange 
—  how  very  strange !  " 

"  I  'm  not  a  ghost,"  he  cried.  "  You  look  at  me  as 
if  I  had  crept  out  of  my  grave." 

She  looked  again  at  the  telegram.  "  Why,  David," 
she  began  falteringly.  Then  her  face  cleared.  A  glad 
smile  broke  over  it,  and  both  her  hands  were  extended. 
"  It  really  is  you?  I  am  not  seeing  visions?  Yes,  you 
are  flesh  and  blood!  You  dear,  dear  David!  I  am  so 
glad  to  see  you.  How  does  it  happen  that  you  are 
here?  Where  do  you  come  from  and  — "  She  went 
on  with  the  eagerness  of  a  child,  asking  more  questions 
than  he  could  remember,  much  less  answer.  "  And  how 
wonderfully  you  have  grown  up !  " 

"  I  have  seen  Christine,"  he  said  eagerly.  "  She  is 
perfection  —  she  is  marvelous." 

"  Seen  her?  Where?  But  we  cannot  talk  here.  We 
must  have  hours  and  hours  all  by  ourselves.  Come  to 
my  father's  house  to-night.  We  are  living  with  him, 
you  know.  There  is  so  much  that  we  have  to  tell 
each  other  —  all  that  has  happened  in  the  five  long 
years." 

"  I  am  here  solely  to  remind  you  that  the  five  years 
are  ended,  Mrs.  Braddock.  Mahomet  has  come  to  the 
mountain,  you  see." 


THE    DELIVERY    OF   A    TELEGRAM    307 

Her  face  clouded.  She  glanced  quickly  through  the 
window.  Hie  gaze  followed  hers.  Christine  and  young 
Stanfield  were  driving  away  together  in  a  hansom. 

He  read  her  thoughts.  "  I  '11  take  my  chances,"  he 
remarked  confidently. 

"  I  know  that  she  has  not  forgotten,  David,'*  she 
said  after  a  moment  of  deliberation,  "  but  —  well,  I 
will  be  frank  with  you.  She  has  suddenly  shot  past 
my  comprehension.  It  is  the  privilege  of  a  girl  to 
change  her  mind,  you  know,  when  she  changes  the 
length  of  her  frocks." 

"  You  have  n't  changed,  have  you  ?  "  he  asked  bluntly. 

She  stared.     "  I?  " 

"  I  mean,  you  are  still  my  champion  ?  " 

44  Of  course,"  she  replied  readily. 

"  Then,  as  I  said  before,  I  '11  take  my  chances  with 
the  rest.  I  '11  not  hold  her  to  that  girlhood  bargain. 
That  would  be  unfair.  But,  if  you  '11  permit  me,  I  '11 
go  in  and  win  her  as  she  is  to-day  —  if  I  can." 

She  smiled  at  his  ardor.  "  I  hope  you  may  win, 
David.  But  you  must  win  for  yourself.  Do  not  look 
to  me  for  help.  She  must  decide  for  herself." 

He  did  not  refer  to  the  young  man  who  had  taken 
her  away  in  the  cab.  Mrs.  Braddock  noted  this  and 
was  not  slow  to  divine  the  well-bred  restraint  that  lay 
behind  the  omission. 

"  That  was  young  Stanfield,"  she  observed.  "  He 
is  delightful.  My  father  is  devoted  to  him." 

David  smiled.  "  I  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  him  soon." 

"  You  may  meet  to-night," 

If  she  expected  to  see  a  trace  of  annoyance  in  his 
face,  she  was  disappointed.  He  gracefully  confessed 
his  interest  in  the  prospective  meeting. 

"  I  shall  be  more  than  delighted  to  come,"  he  said. 


308  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  And  I  am  glad  he  will  be  there  to  engage  Christine's 
attention  while  I  devote  myself  to  you,  Mrs.  Braddock." 

"  You  nice  boy  !  " 

She  extended  her  hand.  "  I  must  not  keep  my  father 
waiting  out  there.  You  don't  know  how  glad  I  am 
that  you  are  here,  David."  Suddenly  a  wave  of  red 
mounted  to  her  cheek ;  an  expression  of  utter  loathing 
came  into  her  deep  eyes.  In  some  alarm  he  glanced 
over  his  shoulder. 

Colonel  Grand  was  standing  at  the  door  through 
which  she  would  have  to  pass.  He  was  not  looking  at 
her,  but  his  motive  in  placing  himself  there  was  only  too 
plain. 

"  Confound  him !  "  involuntarily  fell  from  David's 
lips. 

"  If  he  dares  to  address  me  —  "  she  began,  her  face 
going  white.  "  David,  I  have  not  seen  that  man  since 
the  day  I  left  the  show.  Why  is  he  here  to-day?  Is 
it  to  annoy  —  to  torment  me  in  —  " 

"  He  won't  do  that,"  announced  David  firmly. 

"  I  have  a  strange  foreboding,  David,  —  of  evil,  of 
something  dreadful.  Perhaps  it  is  due  to  the  un 
expected  sight  of  —  his  horrid  face.  I  —  " 

"  That 's  it,"  said  he  promptly.  Nevertheless,  a 
slight  chill  entered  his  heart.  There  was  Tom  Brad- 
dock  to  be  considered.  "  I  '11  come  early  to-night,  if 
I  may,"  he  said,  more  soberly  than  he  meant.  "  There 
are  some  very  important  things  to  discuss.  Now  I  '11 
take  you  to  your  carriage." 

During  their  talk  she  had  absently  folded  the 
telegram.  He  observed  it  in  her  hand  and  said: 

"  The  telegram  —  don't  forget  that,  Mrs.  Braddock." 

Her  smile  was  enigmatic.  With  a  diverted  smile  for 
the  waiting  clerk  she  said :  "  I  shall  not  send  it, 
after  all." 


THE    DELIVERY    OF    A    TELEGRAM    309 

David  walked  with  her  to  the  door.  They  passed 
so  close  to  Colonel  Grand  that  David's  elbow  touched 
his  arm,  but  neither  of  them  looked  at  him.  She  has 
tily  entered  the  waiting  carriage,  a  sort  of  panic 
overtaking  her. 

Thrusting  the  crumpled  bit  of  paper  into  David's 
hand,  her  eyes  steadfastly  held  against  the  impulse 
to  look  at  the  satiric  figure  in  the  doorway,  she  said  in 
a  half-whisper : 

"  Take  it,  David  —  and  come  to-night." 

He  stood  there  with  his  hat  in  his  hand  as  the  car 
riage  drove  off,  sorely  perplexed  by  her  action.  Sud 
denly  a  light  broke  in  upon  his  understanding.  He 
spread  out  the  small  sheet  and  read: 

"  The  five  years  have  passed.  I  redeem  my  promise. 
You  are  not  obliged  to  keep  yours,  however."  It  was 
signed  "  Mary  Braddock." 

Colonel  Grand  was  smiling  sardonically  in  the 
doorway. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  LOVE  THAT  WAS  STAUNCH 

"  I  SHALL  depend  on  you,  David,  to  bring  my  husband 
here  to  see  me.  Search  for  him  until  you  find  him." 

The  white-faced,  distressed  woman  said  this  to  David 
Jenison  a  few  hours  later  in  the  Portman  library.  They 
sat  alone  in  the  half-light.  Stanfield's  married  sister 
had  taken  Christine  off  earlier  in  the  evening,  to  a  con 
cert.  Mrs.  Braddock,  in  a  spirit  of  whimsicality,  for 
bore  mentioning  the  appearance  of  David  to  the  girl, 
planning  to  surprise  her  when  she  returned  from  the 
concert.  If  David  was  disappointed  at  not  finding  her, 
he  went  to  considerable  pains  to  hide  the  fact  from  the 
mother.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  secretly  relieved, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  after  the  first  shock  of  disap 
pointment.  Christine's  absence  was  providential,  after 
all.  He  had  ugly  news  for  Mrs.  Braddock;  he  could 
wait  on  the  opportunity  to  see  Christine,  but  what  he 
had  to  say  to  the  mother  could  not  be  put  off  for  a 
moment. 

He  had  gone  at  once  to  his  room  in  the  hotel  after 
leaving  Mrs.  Braddock  at  the  ferry.  He  was  startled 
almost  out  of  his  boots  by  the  discovery  that  Dick  Cronk 
was  there  ahead  of  him,  calmly  occupying  the  easiest 
chair  and  reading  the  evening  paper.  A  skeleton  key 
had  provided  the  means  of  admission  to  the  room;  a 
brave  heart  and  cunning  brain  did  the  rest. 

Dick's  news  created  great  unrest  in  David's  breast. 
Braddock,  it  appeared,  had  gone,  early  in  the  afternoon, 
to  the  apartment  hotel  in  which  Grand  lived.  Fortu- 


nately  the  Colonel  was  not  about  the  place.  Dick,  on 
missing  the  ex-convict,  had  hurried  at  once  to  Grand's 
hotel,  finding  his  man  there,  seated  in  the  small  lobby, 
a  sinister  example  of  respectability,  waiting  patiently 
for  the  return  of  his  enemy.  The  self-appointed  guar 
dian  coaxed  him  away  from  the  place,  conducting  him 
to  the  cheap,  ill-favored  thieves'  lodging-house  where  he 
had  taken  a  single  room  for  temporary  occupancy. 
Braddock,  after  a  show  of  obduracy,  finally  had  con 
sented  to  make  an  effort  to  see  his  wife  before  visiting 
his  wrath  upon  Colonel  Grand. 

Dick  informed  David :  "  He  's  set  on  doing  some 
thing  nasty,  kid,  that 's  all  there  is  to  it.  He  wont 
be  turned  aside.  Those  years  in  the  pen  have  put  some 
thing  into  his  backbone  that  never  was  there  before. 
Maybe  Mrs.  Braddock  can  talk  him  out  of  it,  but  I 
dunno.  She  always  had  influence  over  him,  but  that  was 
before  he  took  to  getting  tight.  It 's  different  now. 
If  we  can't  do  anything  else  we  '11  have  to  warn  Grand, 
that 's  all.  I  hate  to  do  it,  but  —  I  guess  it 's  the  only 
way  left." 

For  the  first  time  in  their  acquaintance  David  saw 
Dick  lose  control  of  himself.  His  face  was  convulsed 
by  an  expression  so  violent  that  the  Virginian  drew 
back  in  alarm. 

"  David,  I  hate  the  sight  o'  that  man.  I  'd  go  to 
hell  to-morrow  if  I  thought  I  could  have  a  place  where 
I  could  look  on  and  see  him  burn  forever.  I  never  see 
him  now  without  wanting  to  stamp  that  face  of  his  to 
jelly.  It's  growing  on  me,  too.  Oh,  to  kick  that 
white,  putty  face  until  there  was  nothing  left  of  it! 
I  'd  give  — "  But  David  had  grasped  his  arm,  to 
shake  him  out  of  his  frenzy,  speaking  to  him  all  the 
while.  He  grew  calm  as  abruptly  as  he  had  gone  to 
the  other  extreme.  His  brow  was  moist,  but  the  old, 


312  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

quizzical  smile  beamed  beneath  it.  "  I  'm  going  on  like 
a  crazy  man,  ain't  I?  Well,  forget  it,  kid.  I  'm  off  my 
nut,  I  guess.  Get  back  to  business.  You  got  to  fix  it 
up  with  her  to  see  Brad."  He  paused  and  eyed  David's 
face  narrowly.  "  Say,  are  you  still  worryin'  about 
what  I  said  about  trampin'  on  his  face?  " 

David  had  cause  afterward  to  recall  the  ugly  sensa 
tion  that  this  extraordinary  burst  of  rage  created  in 
his  mind. 

Before  leaving,  Dick  announced  that  he  was  eager  to 
start  West  to  connect  with  Barnum's  circus,  complain 
ing  of  the  unprofitable  idleness  that  had  been  forced 
upon  him.  He  expressed  the  confident  hope  that 
Braddock  might  be  persuaded  to  leave  with  him. 

"  I  can't  afford  to  be  loafin'  around  New  York  this 
season  of  the  year,"  he  reflected  in  the  most  degage 
manner  imaginable.  "  It 's  expensive,  the  way  Ernie 
and  me  are  living  nowadays.  I  got  to  get  out  and 
round  up  the  rubes.  Now,  kid,  don't  preach.  Oh,  by 
the  way,  has  Joey  told  you  the  good  luck  that 's  hap 
pened  to  Ruby?  Going  to  marry  Ben  Thompson,  a 
newspaper  man.  I  'm  mighty  glad  she  's  gettin'  a  chap 
like  him,  and  not  one  of  them  rotten  guys  that  hang 
around  the  op'ry  houses.  She  's  —  she  's  a  fine  girl, 
Davy  —  a  plum'  daisy." 

Jenison  once  more  impulsively  offered  to  provide  a 
refuge  and  employment  for  life  on  his  plantation  for 
the  delectable  scalawag,  but  Dick  laughed  at  him  in 
fine  scorn.  He  departed  a  few  minutes  later,  sauntering 
down  the  hall  with  a  complacency  that  fairly  scoffed  at 
house  detectives  and  their  ilk. 

David  went  to  the  Portman  home  in  a  state  of  sup 
pressed  eagerness  and  anxiety,  one  emotion  topping  the 
other  by  turns  as  he  was  being  driven  toward  Washing 
ton  Square.  He  expected  to  see  Christine.  He  was 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH     313 

counting  on  it  with  all  the  pent-up  fervor  of  a  long- 
denied  lover.  The  brief  glimpse  he  had  had  of  her  in 
the  afternoon  drove  out  all  doubts  as  to  his  own  state  of 
mind  concerning  her.  She  was  incomparably  beautiful ; 
she  had  the  air  of  the  high-bred ;  she  was  worthy  of  the 
attentions  of  the  well-born;  she  possessed  poise,  man 
ner  —  all  that  and  more :  the  indefinable  charm  that 
radiates  in  some  mysterious  way  from  the  superlatively 
healthy. 

His  admiration  for  her,  instead  of  suffering  the 
shock  that  might  have  been  anticipated  —  and  which 
was  secretly  dreaded,  to  be  quite  candid  —  had  grown 
more  intense  under  the  test.  What  would  be  her  atti 
tude  toward  him?  That  was  the  question.  What  had 
the  five  years  and  new  environment  done  for  her? 

Eager  as  he  was  to  discover  the  state  of  her  feelings, 
he  recognized,  however,  the  more  pressing  matters  that 
were  to  be  considered.  The  peace  and  welfare  of  the 
girl  herself  demanded  his  first  thoughts,  his  most  de 
voted  efforts.  Tragedy  stalked  close  beside  her.  He 
was  afraid  to  think  how  close  it  was,  or  when  it  would 
make  its  ugly  presence  felt. 

He  lost  no  time,  therefore,  in  apprising  Mary  Brad- 
dock  of  the  true  state  of  affairs.  She  sat  before  him, 
a  great  dread  in  her  dark  eyes,  the  pallor  of  helplessness 
on  her  cheek,  listening  to  the  direful  tale  he  told.  He 
did  not  make  the  mistake  of  minimizing  the  situation. 
He  spared  her  not  the  details,  nor  softened  the  stubborn 
facts.  As  clearly  as  possible  he  drew  for  her  the  picture 
of  Thomas  Braddock  as  he  had  seen  him.  He  repeated 
faithfully  all  that  Dick  Cronk  and  the  Noakeses  had 
told  him,  neglecting  no  particular  in  the  known  history 
of  her  husband  since  the  old  circus  days. 

She  was  very  still  and  tense.  Her  eyes  never  left  his 
face  while  he  was  speaking,  except  once  when  she  looked 


314  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

toward  the  door  in  response  to  a  sound  that  led  her  to 
believe  that  Christine  was  returning.  There  jvere  times 
when  he  imagined  that  she  was  not  breathing.  After 
the  first  few  minutes  she  asked  no  questions,  but  mutely 
absorbed  the  story  as  it  fell  from  his  lips.  The  light 
of  joy  and  gladness  in  her  eyes  that  had  been  his  wel 
come  was  gone  now.  In  its  place  was  the  dark  gleam 
of  dread  and  anxiety. 

She  interrupted  him  once,  to  ask  him  to  tell  her  again 
how  Braddock  looked  and  how  he  had  acted.  As  he 
repeated  the  description,  her  perplexed,  even  doubting, 
expression  caused  him  to  hesitate,  but  she  shook  her  head 
as  if  putting  something  out  of  her  mind  and  signified 
that  he  was  to  proceed. 

"  I  would  not  have  known  him,"  he  concluded,  "  he 
was  so  unlike  the  man  I  knew." 

"  He  had  not  touched  whiskey,  you  say  —  not 
since  —  " 

"  Not  in  three  years.  It  has  wrought  an  unbelievable 
change  in  him." 

"  I  knew  him,  David,  before  he  drank  at  all,"  she 
said,  staring  past  him.  "  Perhaps  the  change  would 
not  be  so  great  to  me." 

"  He  has  aged  many  years.  There  are  hard,  des 
perate  lines  in  his  face.  You  would  see  a  change,  I  am 
afraid,  Mrs.  Braddack." 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "  Go  on,  David,"  she 
said,  suddenly  passing  her  hand  before  her  eyes  in  a 
movement  as  expressive  as  it  was  involuntary.  "  Dick 
Cronk  has  a  certain  amount  of  influence  over  him,  you 
say." 

"  It  will  not  last.  When  Colonel  Grand  hears  that  he 
is  back  in  town  his  first  step  will  be  to  have  him  thrown 
into  jail  on  one  pretext  or  another.  Braddock  realizes 
this.  He  has  made  up  his  mind  to  strike  first.  I  think. 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH     315 

he  believes  in  you,  Mrs.  Braddock  —  in  fact,  I  am 
sure  he  does.  I  know  he  loves  Christine.  But  he 
hates  Colonel  Grand  even  more  than  he  loves  her  or  — 
you.  He  —  " 

"  Oh,  he  does  not  love  me,  David.  You  need  not 
hesitate,"  she  said  drearily. 

"  As  I  have  already  said,  he  gave  Dick  a  half-promise 
that  he  would  try  to  see  you.  He  has  two  questions  he 
intends  to  ask,  I  believe.  I  think,  Mrs.  Braddock,  you 
will  be  doing  a  very  wise  thing  if  you  see  him  —  of 
your  own  free  will.  He  will  probably  insist  on  seeing 
you  in  any  event  —  even  in  the  face  of  opposition. 
You  can  avoid  a  great  deal  of  trouble  by  —  well,  by 
not  barring  him  out.  I  know  how  it  must  distress  you. 
I  wish  I  could  take  all  the  worry,  all  the  trouble  off 
your  shoulders.  But  there  would  be  only  one  way  in 
which  I  could  do  it  —  and  that  would  be  a  desperate 
one." 

It  was  then  that  she  laid  her  trembling,  icy  hand  on 
his,  and  said,  "  Search  for  him  until  you  find  him." 

David  hesitated  a  moment  before  putting  his  next 
question.  It  touched  on  a  very  tender  subject. 

"  Have  you  thought  of  divorcing  him  ?  " 

"  No,  David,"  she  said  quietly.  "  I  made  my  bed 
years  ago,  as  Joey  would  say.  Tom  is  Christine's  father. 
He  is  my  husband.  You  may  well  say,  God  help  both 
of  us.  But,  David,  while  I  cannot  live  with  him,  I  intend 
to  remain  his  wife  to  the  end.  I  am  ready  to  promise 
anything  to  him  if  he  will  go  away.  I  will  give  him  all 
of 'the  money  I  received  for  my  share  of  the  hateful  busi 
ness.  He  must  accept  it  quietly,  sanely.  It  is  for  her 
sake,  and  he  must  be  made  to  see  it.  The  world  knows 
that  I  ran  away  to  be  married,  but  it  has  forgotten  the 
circumstances.  The  general  belief  is  that  my  hus 
band  died  years  and  years  ago,  and  that  I  have  lived 


316  THE    ROSE    IN    THE   RING 

abroad  ever  since.  There  is  one  thing  to  his  credit, 
David.  I  shall  not  forget  it.  When  he  was  arrested, 
he  thought  of  Christine  and  —  and  —  well,  he  gave  an 
assumed  name,  an  alias,  to  the  police.  Colonel  Grand 
kept  his  own  silence,  and  for  years  he  has  held  this  over 
me  as  a  threat.  I  have  had  many  letters  from  him,  be 
lieve  me.  Christine  is  no  longer  the  little,  unheard-of 
circus  rider.  She  is  —  well,  she  is  a  personage.  Do  you 
understand?  " 

He  nodded  his  head.     She  went  on  hurriedly. 

"  Tell  Tom  I  want  to  see  him.  Tell  him  I  am  ready  to 
discuss  everything  with  him.  Tell  him  that  nothing 
must  happen  that  can  injure  her." 

"  He  may  insist  on  seeing  —  her." 

"  She  does  not  know  that  he  has  been  in  prison," 
she  said  miserably. 

"But  if  he  should  insist?" 

"I  should  have  to  prepare  her,  David.  She  knows 
that  he  is  alive  —  but  —  Listen,  David ! "  She 
leaned  forward  to  give  emphasis  to  her  words.  "  If  he 
comes  to  her  now  with  the  story  of  his  —  his  wrongs, 
of  his  sufferings,  she  will  forget  all  that  has  gone  be 
fore.  Her  heart  is  tender.  I  am  afraid  of  the  stand 
she  may  take  —  and  she  may  compel  me  to  take  it 
with  her." 

"  I  '11  do  all  that  I  can,  Mrs.  Braddock,  to  —  "  he 
began.  The  sound  of  voices  in  the  vestibule  came  to 
them  at  that  moment.  Good  nights  were  being  called 
from  the  steps  to  the  street  below.  Then  the  door  was 
opened  and  closed  quickly.  Some  one  came  rapidly 
down  the  hall.  There  was  a  swift  rustling  of  skirts, 
the  low  humming  of  an  air  from  "  Pinafore."  David 
was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant,  visibly  excited  by  the 
impending  encounter. 

Christine  came  into  the  library.     She  was  half-way 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH     317 

across  the  room  before  she  realized  that  the  tall  young 
man  beside  her  mother  was  a  stranger.  She  stopped. 
Her  questioning  gaze  lingered  on  his  face.  His  smile 
puzzled  her.  Her  eyes  narrowed,  then  suddenly  they 
were  distended;  her  lips  parted  in  amazement,  tremu 
lously  struggling  into  a  smile  of  wonder  and  unbelief. 
No  one  had  spoken. 

"  It  —  it  is  David,"  she  said,  a  quaver  of  breath- 
lessness  in  the  soft  tones. 

He  sprang  forward,  his  hands  extended. 

"  Yes,"  he  cried,  transported  by  the  new  aspect  of 
loveliness. 

She  stood  straight  and  slim  before  him,  still  unbe 
lieving.  Slowly  her  hands  were  lifted  to  meet  his,  as 
if  impelled  by  a  power  not  her  own.  He  clasped  them ; 
they  were  cold.  Something  in  their  limp  unresponsive- 
ness  chilled  him  as  if  he  had  been  touched  by  ice.  He 
gently  released  them  and  drew  back,  dismayed  within 
himself. 

"  Why  —  why  did  n't  you  tell  me,  mamma  ?  "  she 
cried,  the  flutter  in  her  voice  increasing.  A  swift  wave 
of  color  rushed  to  her  cheeks.  She  suddenly  held  out 
her  hands  to  him  again,  an  eagerness  in  the  action  that 
caught  him  unawares  and  lifted  his  spirits  to  dizzy 
heights.  "  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  —  so  glad  to  see  you, 
David,"  she  cried.  Her  firm  little  hands  were  warm 
now,  and  trembling. 

"  Christine,"  he  half  whispered,  "  are  you  — •  are 
you  truly  glad  to  see  me?  Do  you  mean  it?  " 

She  was  looking  straight  into  his  eyes.  In  her 
own  glowed  a  dark  appeal;  she  seemed  to  be  delving 
in  the  secret  recesses  of  his  heart. 

"  David,"  she  cried,  forgetful  of  everything  else  in 
the  world,  "  does  it  mean  that  you  —  you  still  care  for 
me  ?  You  have  n't  changed  ?  I  have  been  wondering  — 
oh,  how  I  have  been  —  " 


318  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

The  plaintive  note  drove  all  doubt  from  his  mind. 
He  was  suddenly  exalted.  Speech  was  beyond  him. 
His  dream  had  come  true.  She  was  incomparably 
fairer  than  his  waking  hours  had  pictured  her  during 
the  five  years  of  probation ;  only  in  fond  dreams  had 
she  appeared  to  him  as  she  now  appeared  in  reality. 
He  could  only  look  down  into  her  face,  mute  under  the 
seal  of  wonder.  All  that  he  had  longed  for  and  prayed 
for  was  here  revealed  to  him;  he  could  have  asked  for 
no  more.  He  went  suddenly  weak  with  joy. 

"  My  little  Christine,"  he  murmured. 

"  I  have  been  so  afraid,"  she  was  saying,  still  search 
ing  his  soul  through  his  eyes.  "  I  am  still  afraid, 
David.  It  has  been  a  long  time.  So  many  things  may 
have  happened.  We  were  such  young,  foolish  tilings. 
Oh,  David,  you  don't  know  how  I  have  worked  and 
planned  and  striven  to  make  myself  what  you  would 
like,  if  you  were  ever  to  come  to  see  me  again.  I  —  " 

"  You  are  perfect  —  you  are  divine !  "  he  cried,  all 
the  passion  of  his  soul  ringing  in  the  tender  words. 
"I  can't  believe  it!  You  really  care,  Christine?  You 
have  not  changed?  It  has  always  been  the  same  with 
you?" 

"  Changed,  David,"  she  whispered,  her  lip  trembling, 
a  sudden  mist  swimming  in  her  sweet  young  eyes. 
"Changed?" 

"You  do  love  me?  I  am  not  dreaming?  It  is 
really  you?  " 

She  suddenly  lowered  her  eyes,  the  warm  flush  spread 
ing  to  her  throat,  her  neck,  her  ears.  She  caught  her 
breath  in  a  half-sob. 

Both  had  forgotten  the  tall  woman  who  stood  over 
there  by  the  window,  her  hands  clasped,  her  heart  in 
the  eyes  that  looked  upon  them.  They  did  not  see 
the  beatific  smile  that  came  to  her  colorless  lips.  Nor 


Her  lips  parted  in  amazement,  tremulously  struggling 
into  a  smile  of  wonder  and  unbelief 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH     319 

were  they  aware  of  the  fact  that  she  turned  away,  to 
gently  draw  aside  the  curtain  that  she  might  look  out, 
unseeing,  upon  the  gloom  of  the  night  beyond. 

He  quickly  lifted  the  girl's  hands  to  his  feverish  lips. 
There  he  held  them  for  many  minutes  while  he  steadied 
his  rioting  senses,  regaining  control  of  his  nerves.  He 
looked  down  upon  the  dark,  soft  hair  and  worshiped. 
A  red  rose  rested  there.  He  bent  over  and  kissed  her 
hair  —  and  the  rose. 

Then  she  looked  up. 

"  I  do  love  you,  David,"  she  said  softly,  "  are  you  — 
are  you  sure  that  you  —  Oh,  David,  are  you  sure?  " 

For  answer,  his  eager  arm  stole  over  hei  shoulder 
and  she  was  drawn  close  to  his  breast.  She  raised  her 
lips  to  greet  the  kiss.  Her  little  hand  clutched  his  with 
a  sudden  convulsive  ecstasy.  He  felt  the  warm,  quick 
breathing  —  and  then  their  lips  met. 

"  I  am  very  sure,"  he  murmured,  his  voice  husky 
with  emotion.  "  There  never  has  been  a  minute  in  which 
I  was  not  sure,  Christine,  my  darling." 

"  You  have  forgotten  —  you  can  overlook  those  old 
days  when  I  was  Little  Starbright? "  she  whispered 
wonderingly.  "  They  will  make  no  difference  —  now?  " 

"  I  loved  you  then.  You  and  I  and  my  love  have 
grown  older  and  stronger  and  dearer  with  the  years  that 
have  —  " 

She  broke  avray  from  him,  putting  her  hands  to  her 
cheeks  in  pretty  confusion.  Her  eyes  were  shining 
brightly  as  she  looked  beyond  him. 

"  Oh,  mother !  I  —  I  forgot  that  you  were  there. 
I  forgot  everything."  She  ran  to  her  mother  and  buried 
her  face  on  her  shoulder.  "  I  told  you  it  would  come 
true,  mother.  I  knew  it  would.  Oh,  I  am  so  happy ! 
Have  I  been  ridiculous?  Have  I  been  silly,  mother?" 

It  was  the  ecstatic  David  who  reassured  her  on  that 


320  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

point.  In  his  unbounded  joy  he  rushed  over  and  en 
veloped  the  two  of  them  in  his  long,  eager  arms. 

Later  on, '  after  Mrs.  Braddock  had  gone  to  her 
father's  room,  he  sat  with  Christine  on  the  low,  deep 
sofa  under  the  bookshelf  gallery.  Her  hands  were 
clasped  in  his.  They  had  but  little  to  say  to  each  other 
in  words.  Their  eyes  spoke  the  thoughts  that  surged 
up  from  their  reunited  hearts.  She  had  thrown  aside 
the  light,  filmy  wrap,  and  the  sweet,  velvety  skin  of  her 
neck  and  shoulders  gleamed  in  the  soft  light ;  her 
perfectly  modeled,  strong  young  arms  were  as  clear 
and  white  as  marble. 

He  wac  lost  in  admiration  —  in  marveling  admiration. 
For  long  stretches  at  a  time  he  permitted  himself  to 
fall  into  silent,  rapt  contemplation  of  this  perfected 
bit  of  womanhood.  Every  childish  feature  that  he 
remembered  so  well  had  been  subtly  vignetted  by  the 
soft  touch  of  nature;  he  was  sensing  for  the  first  time 
the  vast  distinction  between  fifteen  and  twenty  —  the 
distinction  without  the  difference;  for  she  was  the  same 
Christine,  after  all.  It  was  unbelievable.  A  delicate 
bit  of  magic  was  being  performed  before  his  very  eyes ; 
the  slim,  girlish  sweetheart  of  other  days  was  being 
effaced.  The  soft,  insinuating  loveliness  of  young 
womanhood,  with  all  its  grace,  all  its  charms,  was 
being  revealed  to  him  as  if  by  some  wonderful  process  in 
photography  —  new  shades,  new  lights,  new  tints,  all 
ineffably  joyous  in  tone.  He  could  not  remember  that 
her  hair  was  so  soft  and  wavy  at  the  temples,  nor  had 
it  ever  seemed  to  caress  her  ears  so  adorably.  Why 
was  it  that  he  had  never  noticed  the  delicate  arch  of  her 
eyebrows?  Why  had  he  failed  to  see  the  limpid  sweet 
ness  in  her  eyes?  And  her  hair,  too,  seemed  to  cling 
differently  above  the  slim,  round  neck.  What  magic 
sculptor  had  chiseled  her  lips  into  their  present  form? 


Her  chin;  her  nose;  her  broad,  white  brow  —  why  had 
he  never  observed  them  before?  And  what  was  this 
strange,  new  light  in  the  dark  eyes?  This  look  that 
was  no  longer  childish,  no  longer  inquisitive,  but  steady 
with  understanding! 

The  girl  of  fifteen  was  gone.  This  was  the  perfect, 
well-blown  human  flower,  the  woman.  The  woman ! 
Slender,  beautifully  molded,  sinuous,  incomparably  fine 
—  the  woman!  He  closed  his  eyes  in  sudden  subjec 
tion  to  that  thing  called  rapture.  He  held  her  close, 
strained  to  his  own  triumphant,  vigorous  body.  She 
was  his  !  The  woman !  Ah,  it  was  different ! 

"  How  beautiful  —  how  wonderful  you  are,  Chris 
tine,"  he  whispered.  "  I  can't  believe  that  you  are  my 
Christine." 

She  could  only  smile  her  confirmation.  No  words 
could  have  told  so  clearly  the  sensuous  delight  that 
stilled  her  tongue.  There  was  joy  in  her  soft  breath 
ing,  in  the  gently  spreading  nostrils,  in  the  half-closed 
eyes.  She  was  experiencing  the  unspeakable  thrill  that 
comes  but  once  in  the  dream  of  love. 

When  he  spoke,  at  uneven  intervals,  his  voice  was 
husky  with  the  passion  that  consumed  him. 

Once  he  was-  saying :  "  It  is  too  good  to  be  true.  I 
came  unbidden,  determined  to  learn  how  I  stood  with 
you.  I  could  not  wait.  When  I  saw  you  to-day,  I  said 
to  myself  that  you  had  grown  away  from  me.  I  told 
myself  I  should  have  to  win  you  all  over  again.  You 
seemed  unapproachable.  You  were  so  wonderful, 
Christine  —  so  utterly  beyond  anything  I  had  expected 
to  find.  I  was  alarmed,  I  was  actually  dismayed.  But  I 
told  myself  that  I  would  win  ^ou;  I  would  begin  all 
over  again  and  I  —  " 

"  You  saw  me  to-day  ?  "  she  interrupted  in  surprise. 
"  Where?  " 

21 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  I  was  waiting  for  you  at  the  station  —  far  back  in 
the  crowd.  I  wanted  to  see  you  in  that  way  first.  Your 
mother  and  I  met  there.  She  did  not  tell  you.  She 
asked  me  to  come  to-night,  but  she  was  careful  to  give 
me  no  hope.  You  will  never  know  the  doubts  and  fears 
that  have  beset  me  all  this  long  evening.  And  then  you 
came  in.  I  was  dazed.  I  was  all  a-tremble.  And  then 
to  find  that  —  that  I  had  had  all  my  fears  for  nothing ! 
Why  —  why,  I  could  have  died  for  j  oy !  You  did  not 
hesitate.  You  swept  me  off  my  feet.  When  you  kissed 
me,  Christine,  I  —  I  —  it  was  as  if  night  had  turned 
to  day  in  —  " 

"  I  have  gone  on  loving  you,  David,  from  the  be 
ginning.  There  never  has  been  a  moment  in  which 
I  have  ceased  to  do  so.  Ah,  you  had  nothing  to  fear. 
But  I!  Oh,  my  dear  one,  I  was  never  free  from  doubt 

—  never  quite  certain.     You  were  so  far  above  me  that 
j " 

"  Don't  say  that !  " 

"  That  I  was  sure  you  would  not  take  our  —  our  love 
dream  seriously.  When  you  came  to  be  a  man,  with  all 
that  manhood  meant  to  you,  I  felt  somehow  that  you 
would  forget  the  little  circus  girl  who  —  " 

He  kissed  her.     Then  she  was  silent  for  a  long  time. 

"  Your  mother  was  telegraphing  me  to-day  to  come," 
he  said  after  a  time.  "  Did  you  know  that  she  intended 
to  do  so  ?  " 

"  No.  I  only  knew  that  she  would  do  it  —  soon. 
She  had  promised  —  both  of  us,  you  know." 

"  Have  you  never  asked  her  to  send  me  the  message  ?  " 

"  Never !  How  could  I  ?  I  would  not  have  held  you 
to  the  compact.  Nor  would  she." 

"  And  have  you  not  told  her  that  you  cared  for  me 
all  these  years?  Did  n't  she  know?  " 

"  Listen,  David,"  she  said  seriously.     "  My  mother 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH 

has  never  spoken  of  our  compact.  She  did  nothing  to 
influence  me.  She  was  content  to  let  time  take  its  course 
—  and  nature,  too.  Ah,  how  wise  she  is !  But  all  this 
time  I  have  been  conscious  of  a  strange  feeling  that  she 
was  making  me  over  anew  with  but  one  object  in  view. 
She  wanted  me  to  be  all  that  you  could  expect,  demand, 
exact,  if  you  were  to  come  some  day  to  —  to  look  me 
over,  to  see  if  I  was  —  was  worth  the  effort.  Yes, 
David,  she  prepared  me  against  this  day.  She  worked 
with  me,  she  planned,  she  denied  herself  everything  to 
give  me  all  that  you  might  wish  for  in  a  —  " 

"  My  dear,  you  had  everything  to  begin  with,"  he 
began  gallantly,  but  she  checked  him  with  a  shake  of 
her  head. 

"  No,  I  did  not.  True,  I  had  not  been  brought  up  as 
other  circus  children  were.  But  I  had  a  point  of  view 
that  required  years  of  training  to  destroy.  We  won't 
speak  of  my  father.  I  don't  like  to  think  of  him, 
David,  as  we  used  to  know  him,  you  and  I.  There 
was  a  time  when  he  was  different  —  and  I  loved  him. 
But  that  was  long  before.  I  —  I  think  he  has  gone 
out  of  my  life  altogether." 

David  realized  then  and  there  that  she  should  not 
be  kept  in  the  dark  regarding  her  father's  whereabouts 
and  designs.  She  was  sensible,  she  was  made  of  strong 
timber.  She  could  face  the  conditions,  no  matter  what 
they  proved  to  be. 

The  thought  was  responsible  for  the  irrelevant  re 
mark  that  followed.  "  I  must  have  a  word  or  two  with 
Mrs.  Braddock  before  I  leave  to-night." 

She  looked  up  quickly.  "  A  word  concerning  —  you 
and  me  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes." 

Her  eyes  were  lowered  again,  this  time  with  some  of 
the  life  gone  from  them.  A  shadow  crossed  her  face. 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  David,"  she  said,  "  I  trust  you,  I  know  you  are 
staunch  and  true.  But,  dear,  are  you  considering 
well?  Are  you  sure -that  you  will  never  regret  —  this? 
No,  don't  speak  yet,  please.  We  must  be  frank  with 
each  other.  I  am  not  a  silly,  romantic  girl,  believe  me. 
I  have  faced  and  can  still  face  the  real  things  of  life. 
You  are  not  driving  yourself  to  forget  or  to  overlook 
all  the  conditions  that  surround  me,  are  you?  I  was  a 
rider.  My  father  was  a  rider.  Oh,  you  are  going  to  say 
that  my  mother  was  different.  But  what  has  that  to  do 
with  it?  What  does  it  matter  that  she  has  brought  me 
here,  to  this  home  of  plenty  and  of  respectability  and 
—  well,  let  us  say  it,  of  position.  I  am  the  grand 
daughter  of  Albert  Portman.  That  may  stand  for 
something  —  yes,  it  does  stand  for  a  great  deal.  But 
do  not  forget,  David,  dear,  that  I  am  the  daughter 
of  Tom  Braddock.  I  am  the  granddaughter  of  old 
Stephen  Braddock,  who  was  a  —  a  —  " 

"  Don't  say  it,  dearest !  Why  should  you  be  saying 
all  this  to  me?  You,  an  angel  among  —  " 

"  I  must,  David,"  she  went  on  resolutely.  "  You 
have  come  here  to  ask  me  to  be  your  wife  —  to  hold  me 
to  a  promise.  You  must  think  all  this  out  in  time, 
David.  Please  don't  laugh  in  that  scornful  way.  It 
hurts.  I  am  very  serious.  Your  friends,  your  people, 
will  welcome  me  gladly  as  the  granddaughter  of  Albert 
Portman,  but  will  they  take  me,  can  they  accept  me, 
as  the  granddaughter  of  Stephen  Braddock?  As  the 
product  of  a  fashionable  convent  they  may  rejoice  in 
me,  but  as  the  pupil  of  the  sawdust  ring,  —  as  Little 
Starbright,  a  thing  of  spangles !  Ah !  How  about  that 
side  of  me?  Who  were  my  childhood  friends  and  associ 
ates?  Don't  misjudge  me.  I  loved  them  all  —  I  love 
them  now.  They  were  the  best  friends  and  the  truest. 
But  could  they  ever  be  the  friends  of  your  friends?  " 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH    325 

"  They  are  my  friends,"  he  said  simply,  struck  by  her 
earnestness.  "  Are  you  forgetting  what  they  meant  to 
me  in  the  old  days?  And  what  was  I?  A  fugitive 
with  a  price  on  my  head.  A  —  " 

"  Ah,  but  you  were  different  —  you  always  had  been 
different.  You  were  a  Jenison.  What  are  you  going 
to  say  when  some  one  —  and  there  always  will  be  the 
miserable  some  one  —  reminds  you  that  he  saw  your  wife 
when  she  was  Little  Starbright  ?  What  —  " 

"  Don't  look  so.  miserable,  Christine !  If  any  one  says 
that  to  me  I  shall  congratulate  him." 

"  Congrat  —  Oh,  do  be  serious !  It  does  n't  matter 
what  I  am  to-day,  David ;  it 's  what  I  was  such  a  little 
while  ago.  I  am  not  trying  to  belittle  myself.  /  am 
proud  of  what  I  am.  Don't  misunderstand  me.  I  am  a 
Portman !  Her  blood  is  in  me  —  her  mind,  her  soul. 
But  I  am  not  all  Portman.  Suppose,  David  —  suppose 
that  my  father  were  to  corne  back  some  day.  We  know 
what  he  is  —  what  he  was.  Perhaps  the  world  may  have 
forgotten,  but  suppose  that  he  reminds  the  world  of  the 
fact  that  he  is  my  father  —  " 

"  Christine  1  You  are  working  yourself  into  a  dread 
ful  state  over  all  this  —  " 

"Am  I  not  calm?  Am  I  excited?  No;  you  see  I 
am  not." 

"  Dearest,  I  want  you  to  be  my  wife.  You  urge  me 
to  think  in  time.  Have  n't  I  thought  it  all  out  ?  What 
more  is  there  for  me  to  think  about,  save  my  love  for 
you?  You  are  not  presenting  new  conditions  to  me, 
sweetheart.  They  are  old  ones.  I  do  not  intend  that 
either  of  us  shall  sail  under  false  colors.  When  you  go 
to  Jenison  Hall  as  my  wife,  it  shall  also  be  as  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  Braddock,  the  showman." 

"  But,  David,  he  may  have  fallen  so  low  —  he  may 
have  sunk  to  the  very  lowest  — •  oh,  you  must  under- 


326  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

stand.  We  have  heard  nothing  from  him.  We  don't 
know  where  he  is,  nor  what  his  life  has  been.  Suppose 
—  oh,  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  it." 

He  put  his  hands  on  her  cheeks  and  turned  her  face 
so  that  he  could  look  squarely  into  her  eyes.  He  saw 
the  trouble  there,  the  agony  of  doubt. 

"  Look  at  me,  Christine,"  he  said  gently.  The  light 
in  his  eyes  held  her.  "  It  does  n't  matter  what  he  was, 
what  he  is  or  what  he  may  become.  I  love  you,  as  I 
have  always  loved  you.  You  are  going  to  be  my  wife. 
That  is  the  end  of  it  all." 

His  heart  was  sinking,  however,  under  the  weight  of 
the  thing  he  knew,  the  thing  she  was  yet  to  know.  He 
would  have  given  all  he  possessed  in  the  world  for  the 
power  to  shield  her  from  the  blow  that  was  yet  to  fall. 

There  came  swiftly  to  mind  the  hazy,  indistinct  in 
terior  of  a  dressing-tent,  with  its  mysterious  lights  and 
strange  people,  just  as  it  had  appeared  to  him  on  that 
first,  never-to-be-forgotten  night.  He  felt  himself 
again  emerging  from  that  state  of  insensibility  to  look 
upon  the  queer,  unfamiliar  things  that  were  to  become 
quite  real  to  him.  And  out  of  the  phantasmalian  group 
of  objects  there  grew  a  single  slim,  well-remembered 
figure  in  red,  to  dazzle  him  with  her  strange,  unexpected 
beauty,  and  to  soothe  him  with  an  unspoken  faith  that 
began  then  and  had  not  yet  faltered  in  her  lovely  eyes. 
She  had  given  him  food.  She  had  said  he  was  no  thief. 
It  all  came  back  to  him.  He  had  looked  upon  her  as 
an  angel  then  —  a  strange,  unfamiliar  angel  in  the 
garb  she  wore,  but  an  angel,  just  the  same. 

Now  he  knew  that  love  began  with  the  first  glimpse 
he  had  of  her.  It  was  as  if  she  had  been  revealed  to 
him  in  a  vision.  His  mind  swept  along  over  the  rough 
days  that  followed.  He  saw  her  again  in  the  ring,  in 
the  dressing-tent  —  everywhere.  Then  there  was  that 


THE    LOVE    THAT    WAS    STAUNCH 

night   under  the    grocer's    awning  —  that   sweetest   of 
all  nights  in  his  life! 

And  now  she  was  here,  with  him  again,  but  amidst 
vastly  different  surroundings.  She  was  here,  and  she 
would  need  him  now  as  he  had  needed  her  then.  It 
was  for  him  now  to  present  himself  as  the  bulwark  be 
tween  her  and  the  fickle,  disdainful  world  of  which  she 
had  become  a  part.  She  was  no  longer  the  self-reliant, 
petted  creature  of  the  circus,  where  environment  and 
adversity  formed  a  training-school  for  disaster,  but  a 
delicate,  refined  flower  set  out  in  a  new  soil  to  thrive 
or  wither  as  the  winds  of  prejudice  blow.  In  the  other 
days  she  could  have  laughed  with  glee  at  the  vagaries 
of  that  self-same  wind,  but  now,  ah,  now  it  was  differ 
ent.  She  was  not  Little  Starbright. 

He  drew  her  closer.  She  trembled  in  the  clasp  of 
his  arms.  Her  firm,  full  young  breast  rose  and  fell 
in  quick  response  to  the  driving  heart-beats.  Again 
his  thoughts  shot  back  to  the  prophetic,  perfect  figure 
of  the  girl  at  fifteen.  He  fought  off  a  certain  delicious, 
overpowering  intoxicaton,  and  forced  himself  to  a  be 
wildered  contemplation  of  her  present  powers  of  resist 
ance  to  the  hard  problems  of  life.  She  was  strong  of 
body,  strong  of  heart,  strong  of  spirit,  but  was  she 
strongly  fortified  with  the  endurance  that  must  stand 
unshaken  through  a  period  of  sorrow  and  shame  and  — 
disgrace? 

Again  he  looked  into  her  half-closed  eyes.  He  saw 
there  the  serene  integrity  of  Mary  Braddock ;  the  light 
of  that  woman's  character  was  strongly  entrenched  in 
the  soul  of  Christine  Braddock.  He  experienced  a  sud 
den  sense  of  relief,  of  comfort.  She  was  made  of  the 
flesh  and  spirit  that  endures.  Product  was  she  of 
Thomas  Braddock  in  his  physically  honest  days,  and 
of  Mary,  his  wife,  in  whose  veins  flowed  the  strain  of 


328  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

a  refinement  elementally  so  pure  that  the  bitterest  things 
in  life  had  proved  incapable  of  destroying  a  single  drop 
of  its  sweetness. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of,  David?  "  she  asked,  im 
pressed  by  the  look  in  his  eyes  and  the  unconscious 
nodding  of  his  head. 

"  Of  you,"  he  said,  catching  himself  up  quickly. 
"  Always  of  you,  dearest." 

"  You  were  thinking  of  what  I  said  to  you  a  moment 
ago,"  she  said  steadily. 

"  Yes,"  he  agreed,  "  and  of  what  you  said  to  me  five 
years  ago." 

Soon  afterward  he  prepared  to  depart.  She  ran  up 
stairs  to  tell  her  mother  that  he  wanted  to  see  her.  She 
had  kissed  him  good  night.  He  did  not  see  her  again. 
Later  on,  she  stood  straight  and  tense,  in  the  center 
of  her  bedroom  floor,  her  hands  to  her  breast,  waiting 
for  her  mother's  return.  Vaguely  she  felt  that  some 
thing  harsh  and  bitter  was  to  be  made  known  to  her 
before  she  slept  that  night. 

In  lowered  tones  David  Jenison  was  saying  to  Mary 
Braddock :  "  She  must  be  told  everything  to-night.  It 
is  n't  safe  to  put  it  off.  She  is  strong  and  she  knows 
that  I  am  staunch.  Nothing  else  should  matter.  We 
don't  know  what  to-morrow  may  bring,  but  she  must  be 
as  fully  prepared  for  the  worst  as  we  are.  It  is  n't 
fair  to  her.  Tell  her  everything." 

"  Yes,"  she  said  steadily.  "  And  you  will  try  to  find 
him  to-night?  " 

"  I  will,"  he  said. 


BOOK-STEPS 

DAVID  hurried  off  toward  the  car-line,  bent  on  reach 
ing  Joey's  home  before  that  worthy  retired  for  the  night. 

At  the  top  of  a  flight  of  stone  steps  leading  to  the 
doors  of  an  imposing  mansion  across  the  street  from  the 
Portman  home  a  motionless  figure  sat,  as  bleak  as  the 
shadows  in  which  it  was  shrouded.  Like  a  malevolent 
gargoyle  it  glowered  out  upon  the  deserted  street;  a 
tense,  immovable  chin  rested  in  a  pair  of  clenched  hands, 
knees  supporting  the  elbows.  This  desolate,  forbidding 
figure  had  been  there  for  an  hour  or  more  —  ever  since 
Christine's  return  from  the  concert.  Not  once  were  the 
burning  eyes  removed  from  the  lighted  windows  across 
the  way.  At  last,  long  after  the  footsteps  of  the 
anxious  Virginian  had  died  away  in  the  night,  and  the 
lights  were  extinguished  in  the  house  opposite,  the 
silent  watcher  moved  for  the  first  time.  Slowly  he  came 
to  his  feet,  his  eyes  still  upon  the  solitary  window  in 
which  a  light  had  lingered  long  after  all  the  others 
were  gone. 

"  Well,  they  're  through  discussing  me,"  muttered 
Tom  Braddock,  thinking  aloud.  Shivering,  as  if  from 
a  mighty  chill,  although  the  night  was  warm,  he  stalked 
down  from  his  perch  and  went  swiftly  up  the  street,  a 
gaunt,  broad-shouldered  figure  whose  step  seemed  to 
suggest  purpose  more  than  stealth. 

As  he  slunk  past  the  approach  to  a  basement  hard- 
by,  a  stealthy  figure  slipped  out  from  the  recess  and 
kept  pace  with  him,  not  twenty  feet  behind.  A  block 


330  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

farther  up  the  street  this  second  watcher  quickened 
his  pace.  He  came  alongside  the  man  ahead. 

"  Hello,  Brad,"  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  stalked. 
He  betrayed  no  surprise,  no  sign  of  alarm.  He  did  not 
check  his  pace,  nor  look  around. 

"  Confound  you,  Dick,"  he  said,  as  if  pronouncing 
sentence,  "  if  you  don't  quit  dogging  me  like  this  I  '11 
kill  you,  so  help  me  God." 

"  You  might  have  known  I  'd  be  somewhere  around," 
said  the  other  quietly.  They  were  now  side  by  side, 
gaunt,  slouching  figures,  both  of  them. 

"  I  thought  I  'd  given  you  the  slip." 

"  Umph,"  was  the  expressive  comment. 

"  What  did  you  follow  me  over  here  to-night  for  ?  " 
demanded  Braddock  fiercely,  after  thirty  steps. 

"  You  know  why,  Brad.    Don't  ask." 

"  This  is  my  affair,"  went  on  the  big  man.  "  I  was 
doing  no  harm,  sitting  across  there.  Can't  a  man  sneak 
off  for  a  single  look  at  his  own  child  —  in  the  dark, 
at  that  —  without  being  hounded  by  —  Say,  you  must 
stop  dogging  me,  d'  you  hear?  I  'm  not  a  rat.  I  'm  a 
human  being.  I  've  got  feelings.  I  wanted  to  have 
a  look  at  her.  She  's  my  girl  and  —  " 

"  Not  so  loud,  Brad.  Remember  who  you  are  with. 
You  are  in  bad  company,  old  man.  Don't  draw  atten 
tion  to  the  fact.  Take  a  word  of  advice  from  me. 
Keep  away  from  that  house.  Don't  — 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  anything  more  out  of  you," 
grated  Braddock.  "  I  know  what  I  'm  doing.  I  'm 
living  up  to  my  promise,  ain't  I  ?  Did  n't  I  say  I  'd  see 
Mary  before  I  —  Say,"  he  broke  off  incontinently,  his 
thoughts  leaping  backward,  "  that  was  my  girl  that 
said  good  night  to  the  swells  back  there  —  mine!  Did 
you  see  how  prettily  she  was  dressed?  Did  you  hear 
how  sweet  her  voice  was  ?  I  —  I  —  "  Something  came 


DOOR-STEPS  331 

up  in  the  man's  throat  to  cut  off  the  words ;  and  a  long 
silence  fell  between  them. 

Not  until  they  were  turning  into  Fourth  Avenue  did 
Dick  Cronk  speak  again.  Somehow  he  felt  the  emotion 
that  struggled  in  the  breast  of  the  man  beside  him. 
For  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  was  sorry  for  him. 

"  Where  are  you  going  now,  Tom?  "  he  asked,  know 
ing  full  well  what  the  spiritless  answer  would  be. 

"  To  that  hell-hole  of  a  place  you  call  home,"  said 
Braddock.  Dick  slipped  his  hand  through  the  other's 
arm ;  they  turned  off  into  one  of  the  cross  streets,  wend 
ing  their  way  through  the  sodden  community,  one  with 
his  head  erect,  the  other  with  his  chin  on  his  breast,  his 
hands  in  his  coat  pockets. 

Half  an  hour  later  a  cab  stopped  at  a  corner  not 
far  from  a  Pell  Street  intersection.  Two  men  got  down 
and  picked  their  way  through  the  vile  street,  searching 
out  the  house  numbers  as  they  progressed.  They  passed 
the  all-night  dives  and  brothels,  whence  came  the  sounds 
of  unrestrained  and  unrefined  revelry,  and  came  at 
last  to  a  spot  beneath  a  huge  wooden  boot  that  hung 
suspended  above  the  door  of  the  most  unholy  structure 
in  the  narrow  street.  A  man  in  his  shirt  sleeves  sat  back 
in  the  shadow  of  the  tumbledown  stoop,  smoking  a  pipe. 
At  his  left  a  narrow,  black  passage  led  down  between 
two  squalid  buildings,  one  of  which  was  dark,  the  other 
lighted  so  that  the  vicious  revelers  within  might  see  and 
be  seen. 

The  uncertain,  timorous  actions  of  the  strangers  in 
Thieves'  Alley  brought  a  fantastic  smile  to  the  lips  of 
the  smoker.  He  watched  them  as  they  looked  up  at 
the  boot  and  compared  notes  in  rather  subdued  tones. 

"  This  must  be  the  place,"  said  one  of  the  men.  There 
was  no  mistaking  the  note  of  disgust  in  his  voice. 

"  Looking    for    some    one,    gents  ? "    demanded    the 


332  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

smoker,  without  rising  from  the  stool  on  which  he  sat 
leaning  against  the  wall. 

"  Is  this  No.  24  -       Hello !    It 's  Dick !  " 

"  Ain't  you  afraid  to  be  seen  down  here,  Joey  ? " 
asked  the  man  on  the  stool,  chuckling. 

"  It 's  worth  an  honest  man's  life  to  be  seen  'ere," 
said  Joey  Noakes,  in  hushed  tones.  "  God  'elp  'im  as 
can't  'elp  'isself  if  he  ever  strolls  in  'ere  unawares." 

"  It 's  rather  late  in  the  night  for  any  one  to  be 
about,"  said  Dick  Cronk.  "  Still,  I  've  been  expecting 
you,  gents.  That 's  why  I  'm  sitting  out  here,  takin* 
things  easy  —  and  makin'  things  easy  for  you.  If  you 
don't  mind  I  '11  keep  my  seat,  David.  It  ain't  wise  to 
be  seen  hobnobbin'  with  swell  gents  at  this  time  o* 
night  —  in  Hell's  Kitchen  particularly.  I  know  what 
you  're  here  for.  He  's  back  there  asleep.  Don't  worry. 
I  've  got  him  safely  sidetracked." 

He  jerked  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder  to  indicate  the 
narrow  passage.  The  others  looked  down  that  filthy 
corridor  and  shuddered. 

"  What  a  place !  "  muttered  David  Jenison. 

"  Wot  'as  Brad  been  up  to  to-night?"  demanded  Joey. 

Without  changing  his  position,  Dick  Cronk,  in  as  few 
words  as  possible,  told  them  of  Braddock's  vigil. 

"  Don't  hang  around  here  a  minute  longer  than  you 
have  to,"  he  said  in  conclusion.  "  There  are  a  hundred 
eyes  on  you  right  now.  You  don't  see  'em,  but  they  're 
looking,  just  the  same.  I  thought  you  'd  be  blame*  fools 
enough  to  come,  so  I  waited  up.  Something  told  me 
you  would  go  to  Joey's  when  you  left  her,  kid,  and 
you  'd  make  him  come  along  to  hunt  me  out.  Brad  's 
safe,  and  he's  not  going  to  do  anything  just  yet.  So 
go  home  and  go  to  bed.  I  '11  see  you  to-morrow  and 
we  '11  arrange  for  a  time  when  she  can  talk  with  him. 
She'll  see  him,  won't  she?" 


DOOR-STEPS  333 

"  Of  course.  She  is  eager  to  see  him.  I  am  to  bring 
him  to  her  as  soon  as  —  " 

"  We  've  got  to  handle  him  carefully  or  —  "  began 
Dick. 

Joey  interrupted  him.  "  The  devil 's  to  pay  in  an 
other  direction,  Dick,"  he  said.  "  Bob  Grand  'as  'card 
that  Brad  's  out  and  that  he  's  been  'anging  around 
his  'otel,  nasty-like.  Who  should  come  to  my  'ouse  in 
a  cab  at  nine  o'clock  to-night  but  Bob  Grand  'isself.  He 
finds  me  alone,  Ruby  being  off  with  'er  young  man. 
When  I  sees  who  is  coming  up  my  steps,  I  almost  keels 
over.  The  first  words  he  says  took  my  breath  away. 
I  was  getting  ready  to  kick  'im  into  the  gutter  when  he 
puts  a  check  on  my  leg,  curious-like,  by  remarking  that 
he  's  looking  for  Tom  Braddock.  He  came  to  arsk  me 
where  he  could  be  found.  I  told  'im  I  did  n't  know,  and, 
if  I  did,  I  'd  be  hanged  if  I  'd  tell  'im.  We  'ad  some 
pretty  sharp  words,  you  may  believe.  But  he  took  all 
the  impudence  out  of  me  by  announcing  most  plainly 
that  he  understood  Brad  wanted  to  kill  'im  and  that 
I  'd  best  'ave  a  care  how  I  acted,  because  my  'ouse  was 
being  watched  by  secret  service  men.  There  was  a  lot 
more,  but  I  'ave  n't  time  to  tell  you.  The  upshot  of  it 
is,  he 's  going  to  'ave  Brad  nabbed  and  put  where 
he  can't  do  any  'arm.  And,  see  'ere,  Dick,  I  don't 
want  to  be  mixed  up  in  this  business.  You  've  got 
to  get  Brad  out  of  town  to-night.  He  's  done  for  now 
and  —  " 

Dick  Cronk  interrupted  his  old  friend  with  a  snarl 
of  impatience.  "  Get  him  away  yourself !  I  'm  doing 
the  best  I  know  how.  He  won't  leave  of  his  own  free 
will.  He  's  here  to  do  that  man  and  he  won't  be  put 
off.  And  what 's  more,  Bob  Grand  ought  to  get  it  good 
and  hard.  Somebody  ought  to  spike  him,  and  who  's 
got  a  better  right  than  Tom  Braddock  ?  I  'm  ashamed 


334,  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

of  you,  Joey !  If  you  'd  been  half  a  man  you  'd  'a' 
beat  his  head  off  to-night  when  he  put  his  foot  on  your 
doorstep,  after  what  he  put  up  to  Ruby.  I  —  I  wish 
I  'd  been  there !  " 

The  bowl  of  the  clay  pipe  dropped  to  the  bricks.  He 
literally  had  ground  the  stem  in  two  with  his  teeth. 

"  Go  home  now  —  both  of  you,"  he  said,  a  moment 
later,  following  his  own  awkward  laugh.  "  You  can't 
afford  to  be  seen  here.  I  '11  look  out  for  Brad.  The 
Colonel  won't  come  here  a-lookin'  for  him,  you  can 
bet  your  life  on  that.  You  '11  hear  from  me  to-morrow. 
Maybe  you  think  I  ain't  sick  of  this  business?  If  it 
was  n't  for  you,  Davy,  I  'd  cut  it  in  a  minute  and  dig 
for  the  wooly  West,  where  Mr.  Barnum  and  Mr.  Fore- 
paugh  are  dying  for  my  society.  Move  along  now ! 
Don't  block  the  sidewalk!  Can't  you  see  the  ladies 
want  to  pass?  " 

Two  maudlin  women  of  the  underworld  lurched  by, 
with  coarse,  ribald  comments  on  the  "  swells."  David 
felt  himself  grow  hot  with  shame  and  disgust.  After 
their  laughter  had  died  away  he  turned  to  the  grinning 
Dick. 

"  But  we  must  do  something  to-night  —  "  he  began 
imploringly. 

Dick  lifted  his  hand.  "Correct,"  he  said.  "We 
must  do  some  sleeping."  He  strode  to  the  mouth  of 
the  forbidding  passage.  A  light  from  a  saloon  window 
shone  out  upon  a  long  flight  of  rickety  steps  at  the 
farther  end,  leading  up  to  the  darkness  above.  "  See 
that  stairway  ?  Well,  I  would  n't  advise  you  to  follow 
me  up  there.  It  ain't  a  Romeo  and  Juliet  balcony, 
gents.  Good  night !  " 

He  turned  into  the  passage  with  a  wave  of  the  hand. 
They  saw  him  pass  up  through  the  shaft  of  light  from 
the  window  and  disappear  in  the  shadows.  Then  they 


DOOR-STEPS  335 

hurried  away  from  the  foul  place,  almost  running  to  the 
cab  at  the  corner. 

David  did  not  sleep  that  night.  He  tossed  on  his 
bed,  beset  by  the  direst  anxiety  and  dread,  his  eyes  wide 
open  and  staring.  He  dozed  off  at  six,  but  was  wide 
awake  before  seven,  when  he  arose  and  partook  of  a 
hurried,  half-eaten  breakfast.  It  was  not  likely  that  he 
would  hear  from  Dick  Cronk  before  the  middle  of  the 
forenoon.  Until  then  he  was  to  be  harassed  by  doubts 
and  fears  that  would  not  be  easy  to  suppress  in  his 
present  unquiet  frame  of  mind.  While  he  was  obliged 
to  stand  idle  and  impotent,  the  very  foundation  of  all 
the  future  happiness  of  the  girl  he  loved  might  be 
irreparably  shattered.  Silent,  deadly,  purposeful  forces 
were  working  toward  that  end.  Her  mother  would,  no 
doubt,  prepare  her  in  a  way  for  the  crash,  but  there 
always  would  be  the  memory  of  the  cruel  blow  that 
might  have  been  prevented. 

He  crossed  into  Madison  Square,  taking  a  seat  where 
he  could  watch  the  entrance  to  his  hotel,  though  the 
hour  was  so  early  that  it  seemed  sheer  folly  to  expect 
Dick  Cronk.  A  dozen  times  in  the  first  half-hour  he 
looked  at  his  watch.  Would  the  hands  never  reach  nine 
o'clock?  He  knew  that  Dick  would  make  his  approach 
slyly.  Perhaps  if  he  returned  to  his  room  he  would 
find  him  there.  It  would  not  be  an  unusual  circum 
stance,  he  recalled. 

Had  Colonel  Grand's  detectives  swooped  down  upon 
Tom  Braddock?  Was  Christine's  father  already  in  jail? 
Was  Grand  in  a  position  to  hold  a  new  club  over  the 
heads  of  the  two  women?  Were  the  newspapers  pre 
paring  to  revel  in  the  great  story  — 

He  was  in  the  midst  of  these  direful  questions  when 
some  one  tapped  him  lightly  on  the  shoulder  from 
behind.  He  turned  and  glanced  upward,  his  nerves 
a-tingle. 


336  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Dick ! "  he  exclaimed,  leaping  to  his  feet. 

"  Sit  down !  "  commanded  the  pickpocket  warily. 

David  dropped  to  the  bench,  his  eyes  fastened  on 
the  white,  drawn  face  of  the  pickpocket.  A  thick, 
white  bandage  was  wrapped  around  his  forehead,  par 
tially  hidden  by  the  slouch  hat  he  wore.  The  man 
seemed  faint  and  unsteady  on  his  feet. 

"I  say,  Dick,"  cried  David,  "what  has  happened? 
You  are  hurt.  Who  —  " 

With  a  rigid  grin  Dick  put  his  hand  to  his  head. 

"  Braddock,"  he  said  succinctly. 

"You  don't  mean —  Tell  me  what  has  happened? 
Wait !  Do  you  require  the  attention  of  a  surgeon  ?  " 

"  Sit  still,  kid.  I  'm  all  right.  You  might  pass  me 
a  quarter  or  something,  j  ust  to  make  people  think  I  'm 
boning  you  for  a  breakfast.  Thanks !  Well,  Brad  '& 
gone." 

"Gone?" 

"  He  cracked  me  good  and  hard,  that 's  what  he  did. 
I  told  you  he  would  n't  be  held  down  long.  He  's  in  no 
mood  to  be  kind  to  them  that  are  trying  to  be  kind 
to  him.  He  's  past  all  that.  He  means  business,  Brad 
does.  This  morning  about  six  he  got  up.  I  was  watch- 
in'  him.  He  said  he  was  going  over  to  see  his  wife.  He 
said  he  wanted  to  see  her  before  Christine  was  awake, 
or  out  of  bed.  I  told  him  they  would  n't  let  him  in  at 
that  time  of  day.  He  said  he  'd  get  in  or  know  the 
reason  why.  Then  he  opened  up  on  me  about  all  of  us 
trying  to  manage  his  affairs  for  him.  I  tried  to  quiet 
him.  But  the  devil  of  it  was  he  was  quiet  enough. 
He  was  too  quiet.  It  looked  bad.  When  he  started  for 
the  door  I  took  hold  of  him.  He  —  well,  he  shoved 
me  off.  When  I  jumped  in  front  of  the  door  he  picked 
up  a  chair  and  let  me  have  it  over  the  head.  I  did  n't 
know  anything  for  a  long  time.  When  I  came  to  he 


DOOR-STEPS  337 

was  gone.  Jimmie  Parsons,  who  was  in  the  room  with 
us  all  the  time,  also  tried  to  stop  him  after  he  biffed 
me.  Jimmie 's  got  two  wonderful  black  eyes  as  a 
result." 

"  The  man  must  be  insane ! "  cried  David,  aghast. 

Dick  shook  his  head.  "  Not  a  bit  of  it.  He  's  the 
sanest  man  I  know." 

"Where  has  he  gone?  You  said  he  started  for 
Mrs.  Braddock's?  Great  heavens,  Dick,  he  may  do  her 
bodily  harm !  He  may  have  shot  her  down  in  cold  — 

"  Easy,  easy !  He  ain't  likely  to  do  anything  like 
that  until  after  he  's  got  Bob  Grand." 

"  Then  he  will  shoot  Bob  Grand  this  morning,  mark 
my  words.  He — " 

"  He  won't  shoot  anybody.  He  has  n't  any  gun. 
He  says  he  don't  need  one.  If  he  gets  Grand,  it  won't 
be  with  a  weapon  of  any  kind.  That's  what  he  says, 
and  he  means  it.  If  Bob  Grand  dies  from  a  bullet, 
you  can  bet  your  life  it  won't  come  from  Tom  Brad- 
dock.  But  all  this  can  wait.  I  stopped  off  at  Joey's. 
He  sent  Ruby  down  to  Mr.  Portman's  at  once,  and  he  's 
gone  over  to  keep  watch  around  the  hotel  where  Grand 
stops.  The  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  make  tracks  for 
Portman's.  I  'm  going  to  —  " 

But  David  did  not  wait  to  hear  what  Dick  intended 
to  do.  He  was  rushing  off  to  hail  a  passing  hansom. 

Dick  followed  him  to  the  curb.  "  If  you  see  Brad 
tell  him  there  's  no  hard  feelings,  Davy.  It  was  a  dirty 
smash,  but  I  deserve  it  for  not  ducking.  And  say,  be 
careful  how  you  tackle  him.  Remember  that  thing 
about  wisdom  being  better  than  —  what's  the  word? 
Nerve?" 

The  hansom  turned  and  sped  down  Fifth  Avenue 
with  its  nervous  passenger.  Dick  shook  his  head  wearily. 
Then  he  smiled.  From  his  coat  pocket  he  slyly  extracted 

22 


338  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

a  shining  revolver.  Three  minutes  before  it  had  been 
in  David  Jenison's  pocket.  "  He  's  better  off  without 
a  thing  like  this,"  mused  the  clever  philosopher. 

Thomas  Braddock  rang  the  door-bell  at  the  Portman 
home  shortly  after  eight  o'clock.  He  was  perfectly 
calm  and  in  full  possession  of  himself.  A  brisk  man 
servant  opened  the  door  and  faced  the  strange  caller. 

"  I  want  to  see  Mrs.  Braddock,"  said  the  man  in  the 
vestibule. 

"  Call  again,"  said  the  servant  curtly. 

"  Just  a  minute,  please,"  said  Braddock.  He  did  not 
offer  to  resist  the  closing  of  the  door  in  his  face.  There 
was  something  in  his  tone,  however,  that  caused  the 
footman  to  hesitate.  He  took  a  second,  surprised  look 
at  the  gray,  set  face  of  the  caller. 

"  Mrs.  Braddock  is  occupied,"  he  announced. 

"  You  mean  she  is  n't  up  yet.  I  '11  wait,"  remarked 
Braddock,  still  very  quietly.  The  man  stared  hard  at 
him,  suddenly  struck  by  the  pallor  of  his  face.  His  eyes 
swept  the  grim  figure  in  the  ill-fitting  suit  of  jeans. 

"  What  do  you  want?     Can't  you  leave  a  message?  " 

"Want?  I  want  to  see  her."  The  footman  glanced 
back  over  his  shoulder  as  if  searching  for  some  one  on 
whom  he  could  shift  an  amazing  responsibility.  Re 
calling  his  dignity,  he  essayed  to  close  the  door  in 
Braddock's  face. 

"  I  am  her  husband,"  announced  the  caller,  his  hands 
still  in  his  pockets.  The  servant's  hand  was  stayed. 

"  Won't  you  call  again  ?  "  he  temporized.  "  I  don't 
quite  understand.  It  don't  go  down  very  easy,  I  '11 
say  that.  At  any  rate,  you  can't  see  her  now,  no  mat 
ter  who  you  are.  She  was  up  all  night  with  Miss  Brad- 
dock,  who  took  sick  suddenly.  Mrs.  Braddock  has  just 
laid  down  for  a  — 

"  Christine   sick?  "   demanded    Braddock.      The   new 


DOOR-STEPS  339 

note  in  his  voice  commanded  attention.  "  It  —  it  can't 
be  serious.  She  was  all  right  when  she  came  in  last 
night.  What 's  the  matter  with  her  ?  Speak  up !  What 
does  the  doctor  say  ?  " 

"  They  did  n't  call  a  doctor." 

He  was  surprised  to  see  the  ominous  glare  fade  from 
Braddock's  eyes.  They  wavered  and  then  fell.  An 
uneasy,  mirthless  laugh  cracked  in  his  throat ;  then  his 
lip  quivered  ever  so  slightly  —  Brooks  could  have  sworn 
to  it.  His  hand  shook  as  it  went  up  to  fumble  the  square 
chin  in  evident  perplexity.  For  a  moment  Thomas 
Braddock  stood  there,  reflecting,  swayed  by  an  emo 
tion  so  unexpected  that  he  was  a  long  time  in  account 
ing  for  it.  Indecision  succeeded  the  arrogant  assurance 
that  had  marked  his  advances.  He  looked  up  quickly, 
suspecting  the  lie  that  might  have  been  offered  as  an 
excuse  to  get  rid  of  him. 

"  Are  you  lying  to  me  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Sir ! " 

Braddock's  mind,  long  acute,  worked  swiftly.  He 
went  back  of  the  servant's  statement  with  an  intelligence 
that  grasped  the  true  conditions  quite  as  plainly  as  if 
they  had  been  laid  bare  before  him.  Christine  was  ill. 
No  physician  had  been  called.  He  knew  what  the  ser 
vant  could  not,  by  any  chance,  have  known.  He  knew 
why  Mary  Braddock  sat  up  with  her  daughter.  A 
doctor?  As  if  a  doctor  could  prescribe  for  the  afflic 
tion  that  beset  her!  Too  well  he  now  understood  what 
had  transpired  in  that  upstairs  room.  A  thing  of 
horror  had  come  to  rack  the  soul  of  that  happy,  beauti 
ful  girl  —  had  come  suddenly  because  the  time  was  ripe. 
She  was  suffering  because  lie  was  near !  He  understood. 

A  tense,  bitter  oath  struggled  through  his  lips. 

"  Well,  it 's  time  she  knew,"  he  muttered  in  self- 
justification.  Impelled  by  a  strange  anxiety  —  per- 


340  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

haps  it  was  apprehension  —  he  strained  his  eyes  in  the 
effort  to  penetrate  the  depths  of  the  unfriendly  hall  at 
the  servant's  back.  His  ear  seemed  bent  to  catch  the 
sounds  of  sobs  or  moans  that  he  knew  must  reach  him 
if  he  listened  closely. 

He  again  questioned  the  servant  with  his  eyes,  a 
long,  intense  scrutiny  that  confused  the  man. 

Then  he  turned  away. 

"  All  right,"  he  said  sullenly,  putting  his  hands  into 
his  pockets  once  more  and  drawing  up  his  shoulders 
as  if  he  were  cold.  "  I  '11  come  again.  Tell  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock  I  was  here  and  that  I  '11  be  back  in  a  couple  of 
hours."  Another  glance  through  the  half-open  door, 
over  the  footman's  shoulder,  and  he  stalked  off,  his  jaw 
set,  his  hands  clenched  in  the  pockets  of  his  coat.  At 
the  foot  of  the  steps  he  shot  a  quick,  involuntary  glance 
upward,  taking  in  the  second  story  windows.  The  won 
dering  servant  looked  after  him  until  he.  turned  the 
corner  below. 

Brooks  had  seen  men  with  the  prison  pallor  in  their 
faces  before. 

He  was  not  long  in  apprising  Mrs.  Braddock  of  the 
stranger's  visit.  She  was  with  Christine  when  he  made 
the  unhappy  announcement.  If  he  expected  a  demon 
stration  of  concern  or  surprise,  he  was  disappointed. 

"  I  will  see  Mr.  Braddock  when  he  returns,"  said 
his  mistress  quietly.  Brooks  blinked  two  or  three 
times,  his  only  tribute  to  the  stupendous  shock  he  had 
experienced. 

Thomas  Braddock  walked  to  the  Battery.  There  he 
sat  down  on  one  of  the  benches  and  glowered  out  upon 
the  blue  waters  of  the  bay  for  an  hour  or  more.  No 
muscle  moved  in  his  face.  He  waited  with  a  patience 
that  was  three  years  old. 

When  David  drove  up  to  the  Portman  place,  Mrs. 


DOOR-STEPS  341 

Braddock  herself  arose  from  one  of  the  chairs  in  the 
narrow  stone  porch  at  the  top  of  the  steps.  She,  too, 
had  been  waiting,  but  not  for  the  young  man  who 
dashed  up  the  steps. 

"  He  has  been  here,"  she  said,  as  she  gave  him  her 
hand.  The  tenseness  of  the  clasp  revealed  the  strain 
that  was  upon  her.  He  noted  the  pallor  in  her  cheek, 
the  dread  in  her  eyes.  The  hot  glare  of  the  June  sun 
seemed  to  bring  out  gray  hairs  he  had  never  seen  before. 
He  had  not  thought  of  her  as  growing  old  until  now. 

"  Yes?  "  he  cried  anxiously.  "  Where  is  he?  I  tried 
to  get  here  in  time.  Did  he  —  " 

"  Sit  down,  David  —  here,  please,  behind  the  balus 
trade.  I  am  waiting  out  here  for  him.  He  went  off  in 
that  direction.  I  've  been  watching  for  nearly  an  hour. 
He  is  coming  back." 

She  resumed  her  chair,  facing  the  direction  which 
Braddock  had  taken. 

"  You  —  you  sent  him  away?  " 

"  I  did  not  see  him.  You  must  not  think,  David,  that 
I  am  afraid  to  see  him.  I  am  nervous,  upset,  but  it 
really  is  n't  fear.  Christine  —  Christine  knows  every 
thing.  I  told  her  last  night.  She  is  —  well,  you  can 
imagine,  she  is  very  unhappy.  Everything  looks  black 
to  her.  I  did  not  hide  anything.  She  is  crushed." 

"  Where  is  she?  I  must  see  her.  I  can  comfort  her, 
Mrs.  Braddock.  Let  me  see  her  before  he  comes  back." 
He  was  standing  over  her,  his  face  working. 

"  She  will  not  see  you,  David,"  she  said  in  dull  tones. 

He  started.    "What  do  you  mean?    She  must  see  me." 

"  Her  father  was  in  the  penitentiary."  That  was  all ; 
but  it  told  all  there  was  to  tell. 

It  required  a  moment  or  two  for  comprehension. 
Then  he  cried  out  reproachfully :  "  Does  she  think  that 
will  make  any  difference  in  my  —  " 


342  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

She  held  up  her  hand.  "  She  knows  it  won't.  That 's 
what  distresses  her.  I  am  afraid,  David,  after  all,  you 
have  brought  your  honor  to  a  wretched  market.  We 
are  what  we  are,  we  Braddocks.  We  can't  look  beyond 
our  environment.  You  cannot  marry  a  convict's  daugh 
ter.  It  was  bad  enough  before.  I  should  have  seen  all 
this.  But  I  was  blind  only  to  her  happiness.  We 
can't  —  " 

His  jaws  were  set.  "Mrs.  Braddock,"  he  said,  his 
voice  quivering  with  decision,  "  I  am  not  going  to  be 
put  off  like  this.  You  may  as  well  understand  that, 
first  and  last.  I  love  her.  I  want  her.  She  loves  me, 
thank  God.  It  won't  be  so  hard  to  make  her  understand 
how  impossible  it  is  for  anything  to  come  between  us. 
She  is  going  to  marry  me,  Mary  Braddock." 

A  great  light  leaped  into  her  eyes,  even  as  she  shook 
her  head.  The  words  of  protest  she  would  have  uttered 
failed  to  pass  her  lips.  She  reached  out  as  if  to  clasp 
his  hand,  a  movement  as  involuntary  as  it  was  instinc 
tive.  He  had  turned  and  was  facing  the  closed  portals 
behind  which  his  heart's  desire  was  beating  all  joy  and 
hope  out  of  her  poor  tormented  soul.  The  tears  rushed 
to  his  eyes. 

"  I  can't  stand  it,"  he  cried.  "  She  must  hear  the 
words  now  —  this  is  the  time  for  me  to  go  to  her  and 
say  that  I  love  her  better  than  all  the  world.  Nothing 
else  matters." 

In  his  eagerness  he  was  starting  for  the  door  when 
a  sharp  cry  fell  from  her  lips.  He  hesitated,  struck 
by  the  note  of  consternation  in  the  cry. 

A  carriage  had  drawn  up  at  the  curb  in  front  of  the 
house.  A  face  appeared  at  the  open  window  of  the 
vehicle,  a  never-to-be-forgotten  face  that  brought  to 
mind  the  African  gazelle  in  Van  Slye's. 

David  turned.     For  a  moment  he  could  not  believe 


DOOR-STEPS  343 

his  eyes.  He  stood  rigid  in  the  paralysis  of  stupefac 
tion.  Then  a  cold  perspiration  started  from  every  pore 
of  his  body.  He  sprang  to  Mrs.  Braddock's  side.  She 
was  even  then  peering  down  the  street,  a  great  fear  in 
her  heart,  every  fiber  quivering  with  alarm. 

Colonel  Grand  was  assisting  his  daughter  to  the  side 
walk.  Already  he  had  lifted  his  hat  and  sent  a  nauseous 
smile  to  the  woman  above.  David's  gaze  followed  hers 
in  quest  of  a  more  sinister  actor  who  might  even  then 
be  coming  upon  the  scene  for  the  tragic  climax. 

The  young  man  recognized  the  necessity  for  quick 
action.  Colonel  Grand,  whatever  his  motive  for  appear 
ing  so  unexpectedly  at  the  Portman  house,  must  be 
turned  away  without  ceremony  or  consideration.  At 
any  minute  Thomas  Braddock  might  return.  A  tragedy 
would  be  the  result ;  that  was  inevitable. 

David  started  down  the  steps,  passing  the  rigid,  star 
ing  woman  at  the  top.  He  was  vaguely  aware  of  Ro 
berta  Grand's  bow  and  of  the  look  of  annoyance  in 
the  Colonel's  face.  Half-way  down  he  called  out: 

"  Colonel  Grand,  you  must  not  stay  here  —  not  a 
second  longer.  I  will  explain  if  you  will  let  me  ride 
with  you  for  a  couple  of  blocks." 

Grand  advanced. 

"  Young  man,"  he  said  coldly,  "  I  am  here  to  see 
Mrs.  Braddock  on  a  matter  of  importance.  You  will 
do  well  to  subside." 

David  flushed  angrily.  "  But  Mrs.  Braddock  does 
not  care  to  see  you.  She  —  " 

Grand  came  on  up  the  steps,  ignoring  Jenison,  ad 
dressing  himself  to  Mary  Braddock. 

"  I  have  come  to  discuss  Tom  with  you,  Mary,"  he 
said.  She  started  at  the  use  of  her  name,  a  hot  wave 
of  anger  rushing  over  her. 


344 

"  Go  away !  "  she  cried,  in  low,  intense  tones.  "  How 
dare  you  come  here,  Colonel  Grand?  Go!" 

He  stopped,  raised  his  hat,  shrugged  his  shoulders 
in   a  deprecating-  manner, s  and  then  quickly   lifted  his' 
free  hand   to  check  the  approach  of  the  young  man 
who  was  ominously  near  at  hand. 

"  I  fancy  it  will  be  best  for  all  concerned  if  we  avoid 
tableaux.  Still,  I  will  go  away  if  you  see  fit  to  send 
me  —  " 

"  I  do  see  fit !    Go !  " 

Roberta  Grand  was  staring  at  the  speaker  from  the 
bottom  of  the  steps. 

"  Don't  haggle  with  her,  father,"  she  cried  venom 
ously.  "  Bring  her  to  time !  " 

"You  have  met  my  daughter,  Mrs.  Braddock?  "  said 
Grand  in  his  most  suave  manner.  "  What  are  you  look 
ing  at,  Jenison?  "  he  demanded,  suddenly  noting  the 
young  man's  frozen  stare,  directed  down  the  street. 

David  passed  his  hand  over  his  damp  brow  and  turned 
to  look  helplessly  into  Mary  Braddock's  face. 

Tom  Braddock  was  standing  across  the  street  at  the 
corner  below,  clutching  a  lamp-post  for  support.  He 
was  staring  with  wide  open  eyes  at  the  group  on  the 
steps. 


CHAPTER    VII 

TOM  BRADDOCK'S  PROMISE 

SHE  had  seen  Braddock  turn  the  corner.  Her  eyes 
were  closed  now,  as  if  to  shut  out  the  disaster  that  must 
rush  down  upon  them  in  the  next  instant;  her  thrum 
ming  ears  waited  for  the  sound  of  running  footsteps 
and  the  crack  of  a  revolver.  David  started  up  the  steps 
toward  her. 

"  It  will  be  best  for  you  to  hear  what  I  have  come 
to  say,"  observed  Grand,  ignorant  of  the  peril  that  lay 
behind  him.  He  resumed  his  progress  up  the  steps, 
Roberta  following  close  behind. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  man,  go  while  you  can,"  cried 
David  hoarsely.  "  Don't  you  see  —  " 

"Mary,  will  you  listen  to  me?  We've  got  to  come 
to  an  understanding  -concerning  Tom.  He  's  in  town. 
We  must  come  to  some  agreement,  you  and  I,  as  to 
whether  a  scandal  is  to  follow  his  arrest  —  a  scandal 
which  will  blast  you  and  Christine  forever  in  New  —  " 

"  Is  there  no  way  to  stop  him  ? "  groaned  Mary 
Braddock,  opening  her  eyes  to  look  again  upon  the 
sinister  figure  across  the  way.  She  had  not  heard  a 
word  of  Colonel  Grand's  minacious  overture. 

"  By  this  time  Braddock  has  been  taken  by  the  police, 
—  as  Sam  Brafford,  the  ex-convict  and  yeggman.  Is 
he  to  go  up  this  time  as  the  father  of  Christine  —  " 

David  sprang  to  his  side,  seizing  his  right  arm  in  a 
grip  of  iron.  In  the  same  movement  he  whirled  the 
older  man  about  and  pointed  toward  the  figure  at  the 
corner. 


346  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  It 's  Braddock !  "  he  hissed.  "  Now  we  're  in  for 
it.  By  heaven,  he  ought  to  kill  you !  " 

"  Braddock ! "  gasped  Grand.  "  Why,  he  is  in 
jail  —  "  The  words  died  on  his  lips.  He  recognized 
the  man.  His  eyes  bulged,  his  grayish  face  seemed  to 
freeze  stiff,  with  the  lower  lip  and  tongue  hanging 
loose. 

Transfixed,  he  saw  Thomas  Braddock  straighten 
up,  relinquish  his  grip  on  the  iron  post,  and  start 
diagonally  across  the  street,  his  head  bent  forward,  his 
lower  jaw  extended.  His  unswerving  gaze  never  left 
the  face  of  Robert  Grand. 

"  Get  into  the  carriage,  Roberta,"  shouted  Grand, 
suddenly  alive  to  his  peril.  He  trembled,  but  he  was 
not  the  man  to  run  from  an  adversary,  nor  was  he 
likely  to  sell  his  life  cheaply.  With  a  quick,  desperate 
tug,  he  jerked  himself  free  of  David's  grasp.  His  hand 
flew  to  his  inside  coat  pocket. 

Thomas  Braddock  had  reached  the  curb.  Miss 
Grand  stood  directly  in  his  path,  petrified  by  terror. 
Like  a  cat  he  sprang  forward,  cunningly  putting  her 
body  between  him  and  Grand,  making  it  impossible  for 
the  latter  to  shoot  without  imperiling  the  life  of  his 
daughter. 

A  revolver  gleamed  in  the  hand  of  the  man  on  the 
steps. 

David's  wits  worked  quickly.  It  may  have  been  that 
he  was  inspired.  Instead  of  attempting  to  grasp  or 
disarm  Colonel  Grand,  he  decided  to  let  the  situation 
take  care  of  itself  for  the  moment.  Neither  of  the  men 
could  make  a  move  to  attack  the  other. 

"  Here,  I  say !  "  gasped  the  Colonel.  "  He  can  shoot 
me  down  like  a  dog.  Stop  him,  Jenison!  Don't  you 
see  I  can't  protect  myself?  " 

David  took  advantage  of  the  knowledge  that  Brad- 
dock  was  unarmed. 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  34T 

"  Colonel  Grand,"  he  cried  out  sharply,  "  if  you  at 
tempt  to  kill  that  man  I  '11  see  that  you  suffer  for  it." 

"  But,  damn  it,  he  is  here  to  kill  me !  I  have  the 
right  to  kill  in  self-defense  if  —  " 

"  Then  why  does  n't  he  kill  you  ?  He  has  you  in  his 
power.  He  is  not  here  to  attack  you.  That  must  be 
plain,  even  to  you.  Mr.  Braddock  has  come  to  see  his 
wife  before  leaving  the  city." 

He  caught  the  cunning  gleam  in  Tom  Braddock's 
eyes.  His  heart  gave  a  great  bound  of  relief.  The 
man  was  not  so  mad  as  to  court  certain  death  by  at 
tacking  his  enemy  under  the  present  conditions.  Chris 
tine's  father  was  perfectly  cool ;  he  was  absolute  master 
of  himself.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from  the  mind 
of  Thomas  Braddock  than  the  desire  to  be  shot  by 
Robert  Grand.  It  was  his  one  purpose  in  life  to  kill, 
not  to  be  killed.  He  realized  that  he  was  powerless. 
Grand  could  shoot  him  down  like  a  dog  —  an  inglorious 
end  to  the  one  spark  of  ambition  left  in  him.  The 
workings  of  Braddock's  mind  were  as  plain  to  Jenison 
as  if  the  man  were  expounding  them  by  word  of  mouth. 

"  Before  leaving  the  country,"  David  substituted. 
The  ghost  of  a  sneer  flickered  about  Braddock's  lips. 
He  spoke  for  the  first  time,  hoarsely,  but  with  won 
derful  calmness. 

"  I  came  to  see  Mary,"  he  said.  "  You  'd  better  go, 
Grand.  I  don't  want  anything  to  do  with  you.  It 
won't  be  healthy  for  either  of  us  if  we  see  too  much  of 
each  other." 

"  Stand  out  from  behind  my  daughter,  you  coward," 
shouted  Grand. 

"  Don't  shoot,  father ! "  screamed  the  girl,  terror- 
stricken. 

"  Go  ahead !  "  said  Braddock  grimly. 

The  driver  of  the  cab  was  looking  wildly  about  in 


348  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

quest  of  a  policeman.  Two  women  had  stopped  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  were  staring  at  the 
group  in  front  of  the  Portman  mansion. 

"  Shall  I  call  a  cop  ?  "  called  out  the  cabby,  address 
ing  himself  to  the  one  person  who  seemed  to  belong  on 
the  premises  —  Mrs.  Braddock. 

"  No !  No !  Take  them  away !  "  she  cried.  "  That 's 
all  I  ask  of  you !  " 

"  Wait !  "  said  Colonel  Grand,  master  of  himself  once 
more.  "  We  may  just  as  well  understand  each  other. 
I  had  an  object  in  coming  here.  It  concerns  this  man. 
He  —  " 

David  broke  in  peremptorily.  It  was  time  to  bring 
the  distressing  scene  to  an  end,  if  it  were  possible  to 
do  so  without  inviting  the  actual  catastrophe.  He  real 
ized  that  he  would  have  to  act  quickly  in  order  to 
anticipate  the  curious  crowd  and  to  be  ahead  of  the 
police. 

"  Colonel  Grand,  you  have  put  yourself  in  an  un 
pleasant,  uncalled-for  position,"  he  said.  "  I  am  of 
half  a  mind  to  hold  you  here  until  the  police  arrive. 
Cabby,  I  call  upon  you  to  witness,  with  all  the  rest  of 
us,  that  Colonel  Grand  has  drawn  a  revolver  with  the 
design  to  kill  an  unarmed,  unoffending  man.  You  have 
seen  everything.  Mr.  Braddock  saved  his  life  only 
by-" 

"Unarmed!"  shouted  Colonel  Grand.  "Why,  he 
is  armed  to  the  teeth.  He  's  after  me.  He 's  going  to 
kill  me  on  sight,  I  swear  — 

"  What  is  to  prevent  him  from  doing  so  now,  Colo 
nel?  "  demanded  David.  "  You  are  in  a  position  where 
you  cannot  shoot.  He  could  drill  you  full  of  holes 
if  that  were  his  intention.  Mr.  Braddock,  are  you 
armed?  " 

"  No,"  said  Braddock.  "  Do  you  suppose,  if  I  had 
a  gun,  I  would  be  standing  behind  this  girl?  " 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  349 

"  Do  you  hear  that,  cabby?  Do  you,  Colonel?  Now, 
I  want  to  say  j  ust  this  to  you,  sir ;  I  am  going  to  the 
nearest  police  station  and  swear  out  a  warrant  for  your 
arrest.  I  can't  hold  you  myself,  but  I  can  do  the  next 
best  thing.  I  can  land  you  in  jail  for  attempted 
murder." 

Colonel  Grand  stared  at  him  with  uncomprehending 
eyes,  a  sickly  smile  on  his  lips. 

"  You  know  better  than  —  "  he  began. 

David  cut  him  short  with  an  exclamation.  Then  he 
walked  out  to  the  curb,  opened  the  cab  door  and  coolly 
motioned  for  Colonel  Grand  to  step  down  and  enter. 

Mary  Braddock  waited  no  longer.  She  sped  down 
the  steps,  passing  the  slow-moving,  stupefied  Colonel, 
and  ruthlessly  shoved  Roberta  Grand  to  one  side,  taking 
her  stand  in  front  of  her  husband,  facing  his  foe. 

"  It  is  n't  necessary  for  my  husband  to  shield  him 
self  behind  your  flesh  and  blood,  Colonel  Grand,"  she 
said,  her  head  erect.  "  Now,  if  you  care  to  shoot,  you 
have  both  of  us  at  your  mercy." 

"  I  came  to  propose  a  peaceful  — "  began  the 
Colonel,  baffled. 

"  Step  lively,  Colonel  Grand !  "  commanded  Jenison. 
"  Permit  me,  Miss  Grand." 

"  Don't  touch  me,"  hissed  Roberta,  disdaining  his 
assistance.  The  look  she  bestowed  upon  her  father,  as 
she  passed  him,  was  not  a  pleasant  one.  He  had  prom 
ised  her  a  different  reception  at  the  Portman  home, 
secretly  depending  on  his  power  to  force  Mrs.  Brad- 
dock  to  welcome  an  armistice,  no  matter  how  distaste 
ful  it  may  have  been  to  her.  He  had  not  anticipated 
the  outcome.  Miss  Grand  accompanied  him,  meanly 
it  is  true,  in  the  hope  that  she  might  gloat  over  the 
Braddocks  in  their  humiliation. 

She  entered  the  cab,  frightened  and  dismayed.     Her 


350  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

father,  still  grasping  his  pistol,  followed  her.  He  cast 
a  defeated,  almost  appealing  glance  at  the  uncom 
promising  face  of  the  young  man  who  held  open  the 
door. 

"  You  can't  obtain  a  warrant  for  me,"  he  said  ner 
vously.  "  I  have  the  law  on  my  side.  I  can  prove 
that  this  man  threatened  —  ' 

"  Drive  on,  cabby,"  said  David  relentlessly.  "  I  've 
taken  your  number.  You  will  be  called  on  as  a  witness. 
Don't  argue !  I  mean  it !  " 

Muttering  excitedly,  the  driver,  without  the  custom 
ary  "where  to?"  started  off  down  the  street.  Colonel 
Grand  leaned  forward  to  send  a  menacing  scowl  toward 
the  group  on  the  sidewalk.  He  smiled  sardonically  when 
he  saw  that  Mary  Braddock  still  kept  her  place  in  front 
of  her  husband,  evidently  afraid  that  he  would  fire  from 
the  window  of  the  departing  cab.  Then  he  called  out 
his  instructions  to  the  driver  and  settled  back  in  the 
seat. 

The  gritting  of  Tom  Braddock's  teeth  did  not  escape 
the  tortured  ears  of  his  wife.  She  looked  up  quickly. 
He  was  glaring  after  the  cab,  a  look  of  appalling  feroc 
ity  in  his  face. 

"  Come  into  the  house,  Tom,"  she  said  quickly. 

He  turned  on  her  with  a  snarl. 

"  I  won't  keep  you  long,"  he  grated.  "  I  've  got 
other  business  on  hand."  It  occurred  to  him  to  tender 
David  his  meed  of  praise.  "  That  was  pretty  sharp  in 
you,  David,  staving  him  off  like  that.  I  owe  you  some 
thing  for  doing  that." 

"  I  knew  you  were  unarmed.  You  would  have  had  no 
chance." 

They  were  going  up  the  steps,  Braddock  between  the 
others.  Brooks,  the  footman,  was  holding  the  door 
open.  He  had  been  a  politely  interested  witness  to  the 
startling  encounter. 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  351 

Braddock  seemed  to  be  studying  each  successive  slab 
of  stone  as  he  ascended.  The  muscles  of  his  jaw  were 
working.  He  seemed  to  have  formed  a  habit  of  jam 
ming  his  hands  far  down  into  his  coat  pockets. 

"  That  was  the  only  chance  Tie  'II  ever  have,"  was 
his  sententious  remark.  No  other  word  was  uttered 
until  they  were  inside  the  house.  Mrs.  Braddock's  gasp 
of  relief  could  not  have  been  called  a  sigh. 

"  Thank  God !  "  she  breathed,  sinking  upon  the  hall 
seat  and  clasping  her  clenched  hands  to  her  breast. 

Braddock  shot  a  quick  glance  up  the  broad  stairway. 
The  surroundings  were  strange  to  him,  —  he  had  never 
been  inside  the  home  of  his  father-in-law  before,  —  but 
he  knew  that  Christine  was  somewhere  overhead. 

"  How  's  Christine,  Mary?  "  he  asked  roughly. 

"  She  is  wretchedly  unhappy,  Tom." 

"  Umph !  "  was  the  way  he  received  it,  but  a  close 
observer  might  have  seen  the  flutter  of  his  eyelids  and 
the  sharp,  convulsive  movement  in  the  coat  pockets. 
"  I  don't  want  her  to  see  me,"  he  said. 

"  She  wants  to  see  you  —  " 

He  faced  her  angrily.  "  No !  I  've  got  to  take  care 
of  my  nerves.  I  can't  take  any  chances  on  having  'em 
upset.  See  here,  David,"  he  said,  lowering  his  voice 
and  speaking  with  deadly  emphasis,  "  that  talk  of 
yours  about  swearing  out  a  warrant  for  Grand  don't 
go,  do  you  understand?  I  don't  want  him  to  be  ar 
rested.  I  don't  want  him  locked  up.  I  want  him  to 
be  free.  He  'd  be  too  safe  behind  the  bars  ?  " 

The  sound  of  a  door  opening  above  came  to  them 
at  this  juncture,  followed  by  the  swift  rush  of  feet 
and  the  rustle  of  skirts.  Braddock  looked  up  and  in 
stinctively  drew  back  into  an  obscured  recess  at  his 
left. 

Christine 's    face   appeared    over   the    railing   above. 


352  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

She  leaned  far  forward  and  called  out  in  the  high, 
tense  tones  of  extreme  nervousness : 

"  Father !     Is  it  you  ?     Are  you  there  ?  " 

There  was  no  response. 

David,  standing  on  the  lower  step,  permitted  his  gaze 
to  swerve  from  the  sweet,  eager  face  of  the  girl  above 
to  that  of  the  man  in  the  corner. 

The  effect  on  Braddock  was  astounding.  Signs  of 
a  great  convulsion  revealed  themselves  in  his  face.  His 
lips  were  parted  and  drawn  as  if  in  pain ;  his  eyes  were 
half  closed,  screening  the  emotion  that  groped  behind 
the  lids.  It  was  the  face,  the  figure  of  a  man  mightily 
shaken  by  an  unexpected  emotion.  Slowly  his  eyes  were 
opened.  An  expression  of  utter  despair  and  longing 
had  come  into  them.  Mrs.  Braddock  was  staring  at 
her  husband  as  if  she  could  not  believe  her  senses. 

Words  came  hoarsely,  unbidden  from  the  man's  lips, 
spoken  as  if  from  the  bottom  of  his  soul  after  years  of 
subjection  and  restraint,  so  nearly  whispered  that  they 
came  to  David's  ears  as  if  from  afar  off. 

"  Oh !  How  lonesome  I  've  been  all  these  years, 
just  for  the  sound  of  her  voice!  " 

His  wife's  hand  went  out  to  him  involuntarily.  He 
looked  at  it  for  a  second,  then  into  her  eyes,  waveringly, 
uncertain  as  to  the  impulse  that  moved  her.  He  sud 
denly  regained  control  of  himself.  He  grasped  the  slen 
der  hand  in  his  great,  crushing  fingers ;  the  sullen,  re 
pellent  glare  leaped  back  into  his  eyes  ;  alert  and  shifty, 
he  held  up  his  free  hand  to  command  the  silence  of 
David.  Then,  like  a  hunted  creature  at  bay,  he  glanced 
over  his  shoulder.  Seeing  an  open  door  almost  at  his 
elbow,  he  resolutely  drew  his  wife  after  him  into  the 
room  beyond.  As  he  turned  to  slam  the  door  with 
vicious  energy,  the  tense,  incisive  voice  called  out  once 
more  from  the  head  of  the  stairs: 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  353 

"Father!" 

The  door  banged  as  if  propelled  by  the  added  energy 
of  sudden  fear. 

An  instant  later,  David  was  dashing  up  the  stairs, 
three  steps  at  a  time.  She  had  started  down.  He  met 
her  at  the  bend. 

"Not  just  now,  dearest,"  he  cried.  "Wait!  He 
wants  to  see  your  mother  first." 

She  clutched  the  rail,  putting  one  hand  out  as  if  to 
ward  him  off.  The  dread  in  her  eyes  went  straight  to 
his  heart.  Her  lips  were  stiff,  her  voice  was  low  with 
anxiety. 

"  Is  —  is  she  safe,  David,  —  is  he  himself?  Oh,  I 
must  go  down  there.  I  know  I  can  reason  —  " 

He  stopped  her  gently.  "  Please,  Christine,"  he  com 
manded.  She  suddenly  put  her  hands  to  his  face,  and 
looked  into  his  eyes. 

"  If  anything  were  to  happen  to  her,"  she  whispered 
in  agony,  "  I  would  —  " 

"  She  is  perfectly  safe,"  he  broke  in.  "  Your  father 
will  not  mistreat  her."  He  clasped  her  hands  and  held 
them  to  his  breast.  "  My  poor  darling !  " 

Her  head  dropped,  her  lip  quivered.  Then  she  quietly 
withdrew  her  hands  and  sank  to  a  sitting  posture  on  the 
step,  leaning  her  head  wearily  against  the  banister. 

Ruby  Noakes,  a  discarded  wet  towel  in  her  hand, 
came  into  the  hallway  above  them.  She  saw  them,  hesi 
tated  for  a  moment,  and  then  quietly  returned  to  Chris 
tine's  bed-chamber. 

David  dropped  to  his  sweetheart's  side.  His  arm  fell 
about  her  shoulders.  She  did  not  offer  to  remove  it, 
but  sat  listless,  unresponsive,  her  eyes  lifted  to  a  nar 
row  window  beyond  which  the  hot  sky  gleamed. 

He  began  by  whispering  words  of  encouragement 
and  sympathy,  his  soul  in  every  syllable.  She  was  so 

23  • 


354  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

quiet,  so  hurt,  so  forlorn;  never  had  she  been  so  pre 
cious  to  him  as  now. 

"  David,"  she  interrupted,  closing  her  eyes  as  if 
through  faintness,  "  it  is  so  good  of  you  to  say  these 
things  to  me,  but  —  but  —  oh,  can't  you  see  how  im 
possible  it  is  now?  Don't  stay  here!  Go  away,  David. 
Do  you  think  that  I  can  marry  you  now?  It  was  bad 
enough  before  —  but  now !  What  am  I  that  you  should 
take  me  to  be  your  wife!  You  must  go  away  and 
forget  —  " 

Her  drew  her  head  to  his  breast,  smothering  the  heart 
broken  cry  by  the  fierceness  of  his  embrace. 

"  Open  your  eyes,  Christine !  Look  at  me."  She 
looked  up,  utter  desolation  in  her  eyes.  "  Nothing  on 
earth  can  keep  you  from  being  my  wife  —  nothing ! 
I  could  n't  give  you  up.  What  am  I  for,  if  not  to 
cherish  and  protect  and  comfort  you?  What  is  the  real 
meaning  of  the  word  '  love  '  ?  Husband !  What  does 
that  stand  for?  A  stone  wall  between  pain  and  peril 
and  trouble ;  that 's  what  it  means.  And  I  'm  going  to 
be  all  of  that  to  you  —  a  stone  wall  for  all  your  life, 
Christine.  It  is  settled.  The  strongest  man  in  the 
world  is  not  strong  enough  for  the  weakest  woman.  I 
will  never  cease  being  proud  of  the  fact  that  you  are 
my  wife.  Don't  speak!  Lie  quiet,  dearest.  Nothing 
can  change  things  for  you  and  me." 

"  It  cannot  be,  David,  —  it  cannot  be !  "  she  moaned, 
covering  her  face  with  her  hands.  He  held  her  there, 
sobbing,  against  his  breast. 

Meanwhile  Thomas  Braddock  was  pacing  the  floor 
of  the  library  almost  directly  beneath  them.  His  wife 
watched  him  in  silence;  her  eyes  followed  the  tall,  bent 
figure  as  it  swung  back  and  forth  with  the  steadiness  of 
a  clock's  pendulum.  He  had  not  spoken  since  they  en 
tered  the  room,  nor  had  she  moved  from  the  spot  where 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  355 

he  left  her  when  he  released  her  hand.  All  this  time 
she  had  been  holding  the  wrist  he  had  grasped  so 
cruelly.  It  pained  her,  but  she  Avas  only  physically 
conscious  of  the  fact ;  her  mind  was  not  comprehend 
ing  it. 

It  was  the  first  time  she  had  seen  him  in  five  years. 
A  curious  analysis  was  going  on  in  her  perturbed  brain. 
The  change  in  him !  She  could  not  take  her  eyes  from 
the  haggard,  heavily-lined  face,  so  unlike  the  blithe, 
youthful  one  she  had  loved,  or  the  bloated,  bestial  one 
she  had  feared  and  despised.  The  coarseness,  the  flabbi- 
ness,  the  purplish  hues  were  no  longer  there.  The  bulg 
ing,  bleary  eyes,  on  which  the  glaze  of  continuous  dis 
sipation  had  once  settled  as  if  to  stay,  were  not  as  she 
remembered  them.  Instead,  they  were  bright  and  clear, 
and  lay  deep  in  their  sockets.  The  lips,  now  beardless, 
were  no  longer  thick  and  repulsive.  She  marveled.  This 
was  not  the  vacillating,  whiskey- willed  man  she  had 
known  for  so  long;  here  was  a  determined  character, 
swelling  with  force,  fierce  in  the  resources  of  a  belated 
integrity  of  purpose.  No  longer  the  careless,  hand 
some  youth,  nor  the  honorless  man,  but  a  power! 
Whether  that  power  stood  for  good  or  evil,  it  mattered 
not;  he  was  a  man  such  as  she  had  never  expected  him 
to  be. 

She  was  sensitive  to  one  thing  in  particular,  although 
the  realization  of  it  did  not  come  to  her  at  once,  she 
was  so  taken  up  with  the  study  of  him  as  a  whole:  she 
missed  the  cigar  from  the  corner  of  his  mouth. 

He  stopped  in  front  of  her. 

"  This  is  the  first  time  I  have  ever  been  asked  into 
this  house,"  he  said,  his  lips  curling  in  a  bitter,  un 
friendly  smile.  "Where  is  your  father?" 

"  His  rooms  are  in  the  other  end  of  the  house,  up 
stairs.  He  sleeps  till  noon,"  she  answered  mechanically. 


356  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Umph !  "  he  grunted,  resuming  his  walk. 

"  Tom,"  she  said,  taking  a  firm  grasp  on  her  nerves, 
"  let  us  talk  it  over  quietly.  Sit  down." 

He  halted.  "  I  can  talk  better  standing,"  he  said 
grimly.  He  came  up  close  to  her.  She  stood  her 
ground,  looking  him  squarely  in  the  eyes.  "  There  is  n't 
much  to  say,  Mary.  You  know  me  for  what  I  am,  and 
you  know  who  made  me  so.  He  's  got  to  pay,  that 's 
all.  We  won't  go  into  the  past.  It 's  not  easily  for 
gotten.  I  guess  we  remember  everything." 

"  Everything,"  she  said. 

"  I  'm  not  excusing  myself.  I  'm  past  that,  and  be 
sides  it  would  n't  go  down  with  you.  You  know  where 
I  've  been,  and  you  must  give  me  credit  for  trying  to 
shield  Christine  a  little  bit.  I  took  my  medicine,  and 
nobody  but  you  and  Grand  knew  that  her  father  was 
up  there  until  now,  excepting  Dick.  I  want  to  say  to 
you,  Mary,  I  was  railroaded  for  a  crime  I  did  n't  com 
mit.  I  was  jobbed.  He  was  at  the  back  of  it.  He  was 
afraid  of  me  —  and  well  he  might  have  been.  I  did 
a  lot  of  rotten  things  while  you  and  I  were  ploddin' 
along  through  those  last  two  years  with  the  show  — 
you  know  what  they  were.  But  it  was  whiskey !  I 
took  money  that  did  n't  belong  to  me  —  yours  and 
Christine's,  and  Grand's,  and  Jenison's.  I  did  worse 
than  that,  Mary.  I  sold  you  out  to  Bob  Grand  —  you 
knew  that,  too.  But  I  'm  going  to  try  to  pay  up  all 
my  debts  —  all  of  'em,  in  a  day  or  two.  I  owe  you  my 
ugly,  worthless  life.  I  'm  going  to  pay  you  in  full  by 
ending  it.  I  owe  Colonel  Grand  for  everything  I  was, 
for  what  I  am.  I  'm  going  to  pay  him,  so  help  me  God. 
Don't  interrupt !  My  mind  's  made  up.  Nothing  above 
hell  can  change  it.  I  came  here  to  ask  you  just  two 
questions.  I  want  you  to  answer  them.  I  'm  going  to 
believe  you.  You  never  lie,  I  know  that." 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  357 

"  I  will  answer  them,  Tom." 

He  hesitated,  his  gaze  wavering  for  the  first  time. 
"  I —  I  hate  to  ask  you  this  first  one,  Mary,"  he  said. 

"  Go  on.    Ask  it." 

"It's  a  mean  question,  but  I've  just  got  to  hear 
you  say  no.  Did  you  go  to  England  with  Bob  Grand?  " 

"  No." 

He  breathed  deeply.  "  That 's  one,"  he  said. 
"  Here  's  the  other.  Did  he  give  you  money  to  live  on, 
to  educate  Christine  with,  abroad?  " 

"  No." 

"  I  '11  ask  still  another.  Where  did  you  get  the 
money  ?  " 

"  Some  of  it  from  my  father.  Afterwards  I  brought 
suit  against  you  and  Colonel  Grand  for  an  accounting. 
He  was  compelled  to  pay  into  court  all  that  was  due 
me  as  part  owner  of  Van  Slye's.  I  had  my  own  money 
in  the  show.  I  could  not  be  robbed  of  that." 

"  I  'm  glad  you  did  that.  It  must  have  been  a  nasty 
dose  for  him." 

"  His  wife  tried  to  make  trouble  for  me.  You  heard 
that?  " 

"  I  knew  she  would,  sooner  or  later." 

"You  knew  it?" 

"  She  was  n't  blind." 

"  But  how  could  she  dare  to  think  that  I  —  " 

"  She  knew  her  husband's  reputation,  that 's  all.  He 
was  careless  about  women."  His  face  went  black  as  a 
thundercloud.  "  But  he  's  had  his  day !  " 

"  Tom,"  she  cried,  clutching  the  lapels  of  his  coat, 
"  you  shall  not  leave  this  house  until  you  've  promised 
me  to  do  nothing  —  " 

He  shook  off  her  hands.  "  Don't  come  any  of  that, 
Mary.  It  won't  do  any  good.  He  made  me  what  I 
was,  he  would  have  prostituted  you.  I  was  just  bad 


358  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

enough  to  fall,  you  were  too  good  to  even  stumble. 
Then  he  landed  me  in  the  pen.  Maybe  you  won't  be 
lieve  it,  Mary,  but  I  'd  stopped  drinking  and  was  earn 
ing  fair  wages  —  well,  I  was  tending  bar  in  Chicago. 
Barkeepers  have  to  be  sober  men,  you  see.  I  had  not 
touched  a  drop  for  nearly  three  months.  The  tempta 
tion  was  too  strong  there,  so  I  got  out  of  it.  Then  I 
looked  up  Barnum  to  get  a  job  as  ringmaster.  I  was 
going  under  the  name  of  Bradford.  Somehow  nobody 
would  trust  me.  They  knew  me.  Joey  Noakes  came 
through  the  West  with  a  pantomime  show  about  that 
time.  He  told  me  you  were  in  Europe.  First  thing 
I  'd  heard  of  you,  that  was,  Mary.  Then  he  told  me 
you  'd  got  your  money  out  of  Grand,  legitimately,  he 
swore.  I  did  n't  believe  him.  I  thought  there  had  been 
some  shinanigan.  I  stood  it  as  long  as  I  could,  and 
then  I  broke  for  New  York.  You  see,  girlie  —  I  mean 
Mary,  I  'd  done  for  you  in  a  nasty  way.  I  practically 
handed  you  to  him.  You  —  well,  we  won't  go  into 
that." 

"  No,"  she  said,  very  pale,  "  we  must  not  go  into  that, 
Tom.  You  sold  me  with  the  show.  I  —  I  can  never 
forgive  you  for  that." 

"  I  'm  not  asking  forgiveness,  am  I  ? "  he  cried 
harshly.  "I'm  just  tellin'  you,  that's  all.  Well,  I 
came  down  here  to  kill  him  three  years  ago.  I  knew 
you  hated  him.  If  you  gave  in  it  was  n't  because  you 
wanted  to,  but  because  I  'd  fixed  it  so  's  you  could  n't 
very  well  get  out  of  it.  There  was  only  one  way  for 
you  to  be  rid  of  Bob  Grand  after  that  —  and  only  one 
man  to  do  it  for  you.  So  I  came  down  here  to  do  it. 
Ernie  Cronk  ran  across  me  on  the  street  one  night. 
He  began  filling  me  up  with  stories  of  how  Grand  had 
also  tried  to  hurt  Christine,  and  all  about  how  you 
were  living  like  a  princess  abroad.  I  waited  until  Grand 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  359 

came  back  from  England,  a  couple  of  weeks  later. 
Ernie  had  got  me  clear  off  my  head  by  that  time,  nag 
ging  me  day  and  night.  He  tried  to  get  me  to 
drink,  but  I  was  too  wise  for  that.  Well,  I  found  Bob 
Grand  and,  like  a  fool,  started  in  to  tell  him  what  I 
was  going  to  do  to  him  instead  of  doing  it  first.  All 
of  a  sudden  he  pulled  a  gun.  I  had  no  chance,  so  I 
bolted.  He  fired  twice  and  yelled  for  the  police.  They 
—  they  caught  me  in  an  alley  —  and  I  had  a  gun  in  my 
clothes,  too.  The  next  morning  he  came  to  see  me  in 
the  station-house  —  to  identify  me,  he  said.  Then  he 
told  me  he  was  going  to  send  me  up  for  highway  rob 
bery  —  but  he  was  willing,  for  your  sake  and  Chris 
tine's,  to  say  nothing  about  the  past  —  or  anything. 
He  did  swear  me  into  the  pen,  and  I  kept  my  mouth 
closed.  But,  Mary,  I  am  not  a  thief  at  heart,  I  never 
was  one.  Whatever  I  did  that  was  crooked  in  the  old 
days  was  due  to  whiskey.  It 's  a  habit  men  have,  I 
know,  blaming  everything  on  to  whiskey,  but  —  but, 
oh,  say,  Mary,  you  know  I  was  n't  that  sort  of  a  man 
when  I  married  you.  I  was  straight,  was  n't  I  ?  I 
never  had  done  a  crooked  thing  in  my  life.  I  don't 
think  I  'd  ever  told  a  lie.  I  had  a  good  mother,  just  as 
Christine  has.  But  what  the  devil  am  I  doing  —  talking 
like  this !  "  The  eager,  rather  appealing  note  went  out 
of  his  voice ;  he  almost  snarled  the  bitter  sentence.  "  I 
did  n't  come  to  explain,  or  to  beg,  or  to  excuse  myself. 
I  won't  keep  you  any  longer.  Remember,  I  'm  not  ask 
ing  anything  of  you,  Mary,  —  not  a  thing.  I  'm  not 
that  low." 

He  was  out  of  breath.  No  doubt,  it  was  the  longest 
speech  he  had  made  in  years.  Perhaps  his  own  voice 
sounded  strange  to  him. 

"  You  are  not  to  leave  this  house,  Tom,  until  you 
have  promised,"  she  said  firmly.  All  the  time  he  was 


360  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

speaking,  she  had  stood  like  a  statue  before  him,  never 
taking  her  eyes  from  his  distorted  face. 

"  Oh,  I  'm  not,  eh?    We  '11  see !  " 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  to  Colonel  Grand?  " 

"  I  'm  going  to  —  "  he  checked  himself.  "  I  'm  go 
ing  to  beat  him  to  a  j  elly !  " 

"  You  mean,  you  are  going  to  murder  him  ?  "  She 
shuddered  as  she  said  it. 

"  No,"  he  said,  with  grim  humor ;  "  I  'm  only  going 
to  help  him  to  die.  You  see,  Mary,  Bob  Grand  com 
mitted  suicide  the  day  he  sent  me  up.  The  final  death 
struggle  has  been  a  long  time  coming,  but  it 's  almost 
here.  He  took  a  very  slow,  but  a  sure  poison." 

The  time  had  come  for  the  strong  appeal.  She  laid 
her  hands  on  his  shoulders. 

"  Tom,  have  you  thought  of  what  it  will  mean,  not 
to  me,  but  to  Christine?  " 

"  She  knows,  by  this  time,  that  I  'm  an  ex-convict. 
It  won't  hurt  her  to  know  I  'm  even  worse." 

"  She  does  not  believe  you  were  guilty.  She  always 
has  said  you  could  have  been  a  good  man  if  you  had  let 
whiskey  alone.  You  see,  Tom,  she  understood  —  she 
understands.  Is  n't  it  worth  your  while  to  think  of 
her?  You  are  not  drinking  now.  Can't  you  think  of 
something  good  —  something  kind  to  do  ?  Must  you 
go  to  your  grave  —  and  such  a  grave !  —  knowing  that 
you  never  did  a  really  big  thing  for  her  in  all  your 
life?  Have  you  no  desire  to  make  her  think  of  you  as 
something  except  the  unnatural  beast  you  were  when  she 
knew  you  best  of  all?  I  see  the  change  in  you.  Don't 
you  want  her  to  see  it?  What  do  you  gain  by  killing 
Colonel  Grand?  He  has  wronged  you,  but  do  you  help 
yourself  by  making  matters  infinitely  worse  now,  so 
many  years  af terward  ?  Do  —  " 

"  He  told  me,  over  there  in  the  police  station,  three 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  361 

years  ago,  that  he  had  won  your  love,  that  you  lived 
for  him  alone.  He  lied.  I  could  kill  him  once  for  that 
lie.  He  told  me,  in  the  next  breath,  that  you  and  he 
were  going  to  sell  Christine  to  a  certain  French  noble 
man,  who  already  had  a  wife  and  family.  He  lied  again. 
I  could  kill  him  once  more  for  that  lie.  He  told  me  —  " 

"  Don't !  Don't !  For  God's  sake,  don't  tell  me  any 
more,"  she  groaned,  horror-stricken. 

He  went  on.  "  He  taunted  me,  he  laughed  at  me. 
I  was  up  there  for  three  years.  In  all  that  time  his 
damned  sneers  and  laughter  were  never  out  of  my  mind. 
He  laughed  at  me  because  the  drunken  bargain  I  had 
made  with  him  had  turned  out  to  his  credit,  after  all." 

"  The  sale?  " 

"  Yes." 

He  looked  away.  The  expression  in  her  eyes  cut  him 
like  a  knife. 

"  I  ought  to  have  been  shot  for  that,  Mary,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  she  agreed  mechanically. 

His  hand  went  to  his  mouth  suddenly,  as  if  to  steady 
the  lips. 

"  I  'm  not  asking  you  to  overlook  it.  Maybe  you  '11 
spare  Christine  the  knowledge  of  it  —  not  for  my  sake, 
but  for  hers." 

"  Tom,  don't  you  feel  that  you  owe  me  something?  " 
she  asked  steadily. 

"  Everything.  I  'm  going  to  pay,  too.  I  took  you 
from  a  home  like  this  and  —  Oh,  well,  it  won't  do  any 
good  to  bring  it  all  up  again.  Let 's  —  " 

"  You  owe  me  a  little  happiness  and  peace,  Tom,  after 
all  these  years." 

"  Oh,  I  '11  go  away  all  right.  This  is  the  last  time 
you  '11  ever  see  me." 

"  It  is  n't  that  that  I  ask.  There  was  a  time  when 
we  were  happy,  you  and  I.  I  do  not  forget  the  old 


362  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

days,  before  you  —  I  mean,  when  we  were  working  to 
gether,  you  and  I,  to  get  control  of  the  circus.  Not 
that  I  liked  the  life  —  God  knows  I  did  not !  but  that 
we  were  striving  for  big,  good  things.  I  —  " 

"  You  got  your  money  back,"  he  broke  in  weakly. 
"  That 's  more  than  I  did." 

"  What  had  I  ever  done  to  you,  Tom,  that  you  should 
sell  me  as  if  I  were  a  concubine  to  —  " 

"  Did  n't  I  tell  you  it  was  whiskey  —  and  cards  ?  " 
he  cried  fiercely. 

"  True.  You  did  tell  me  that,"  she  admitted,  closing 
her  eyes.  He  looked  at  the  lowered  lids  for  a  moment 
and  then  swore  softly  to  himself  —  not  an  oath  of  anger 
but  of  despair.  She  opened  her  eyes  and  caught  the 
fleeting  look  of  shame  and  remorse.  "  Ah,"  she  cried, 
"  you  have  a  heart,  after  all.  I  saw  it  then.  Tom,  you 
did  love  me,  years  ago  —  you  were  fine  and  strong  and 
true.  You  were  yourself.  You  have  changed,  but  I 
can  still  see  something  of  the  strong,  manly  Tom  Brad- 
dock  /  loved  in  those  wonderful  days." 

He  was  scowling  again,  but  she  had  seen  through  the 
mask.  She  went  on  eagerly :  "  You  are  obsessed  by 
this  idea  of  vengeance.  What  can  it  mean  to  you,  after 
all  is  said  and  done?  You  say  you  are  going  to  end 
your  own  life,  as  well.  You  will  escape  the  conse 
quences,  as  any  coward  would,  and  you  are  not  a  cow 
ard.  Who  stays  behind  to  suffer  all  the  pain  and 
anguish?  Not  you!  Oh,  no!  I  am  the  one  —  as  if 
you  had  not  already  done  enough.  Christine  and  I ! 
We  —  " 

"  I  won't  listen  to  you !  "  he  cried,  his  breast  heaving. 

"  You  are  listening !  You  can't  help  it.  Come !  You 
must  sit  down  here  beside  me.  This  is  the  one,  great, 
solitary  hour  in  your  life." 

He  drew  back  and  permitted  an  irrelevant  question 
to  break  from  his  lips : 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  363 

"  Why  didn't  you  divorce  me?  " 

"  Because  I  married  you,  Tom,  that  is  why !  I  '11 
always  be  your  wife.  I  —  I  can't  live  with  you  —  but 
I  —  " 

"  Mary,  you  are  the  grandest  woman  in  all  this 
world,"  he  cried,  amazement  in  his  eyes.  "  And  to  think 
of  it !  I  am  the  one  to  have  married  you,  —  a  thing 
like  me ! " 

She  was  trembling  all  over.  "  Will  you  do  this  for 
me,  Tom?" 

"Do  what?" 

"  You  know  what,  Tom." 

"  You  mean,  give  up  the  one  thing  I  've  lived  for  all 
these  awful  years  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"I  —  I  can't  do  it,  Mary.  It 's  got  to  be,  sooner 
or  later.  That  man  and  I  can't  live  on  the  earth  at  the 
same  time." 

"  Oh !  Won't  you  give  me  something  to  thank  you 
for  after  all  I  've  —  " 

"  Wait  a  minute !  Let  me  think !  "  He  began  pacing 
the  floor  again.  She  watched  him  with  bated  breath, 
a  half-hope  in  her  heart.  He  stopped  before  her  once 
more.  His  eyes  were  bright  with  a  new,  strange  light. 
"  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  '11  do,  Mary,  —  for  you  and  Chris 
tine.  I  '11  put  an  end  to  myself.  That 's  the  best  way 
out  of  it.  I  can't  live  if  he  does.  Wait  a  minute !  It 's 
the  simplest,  surest  way.  Don't  breathe  a  word  of  this 
to  any  one.  I  '11  go  down  to  the  river  to-night.  That 
will  be  the  end  of  it  all.  I  swear  to  you,  I  won't  hunt 
up  Grand,  —  on  my  word  of  honor,  if  you  will  believe 
that  I  have  any  honor.  There  is  some  sort  of  integrity 
in  a  man  who  can  fight  the  battle  I  have  —  and  without 
wavering  or  whimpering.  I  '11  do  that  for  you,  Mary. 
It 's  the  safest  way." 


364  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

She  had  heard  him  at  first  with  a  sickening  horror 
in  her  soul.  It  was  a  frightful  compromise  that  he 
proposed.  She  knew  he  meant  it,  that  he  would  keep 
his  word.  She  understood  how  great  the  sacrifice  would 
be  on  his  part,  how  bitter  the  defeat;  and  she  realized 
that  he  was  doing  it  to  justify  himself  in  her  eyes. 
As  he  got  deeper  into  his  amazing  proposition,  her 
clearing  brain  began  to  discern  the  rift  in  his  armor. 
Not  that  she  saw  a  sign  of  weakness  beyond,  but  that 
the  humanness  of  his  strength  was  being  revealed  to 
her.  There  was  an  authority  in  his  offer  that  dispelled 
all  doubt  as  to  the  cloudiness  of  his  mental  vision.  He 
was  seeing  things  clearly.  His  sacrifice  lay  in  the  will 
ingness  to  forego  the  joy  of  killing  another  man  before 
he  carried  out  his  original  design  to  make  way  with 
himself.  She  studied  his  face  for  a  moment  before 
speaking.  There  was  something  like  gladness  there  — 
a  truly  bright  glow  that  told  of  the  relief  he  had  found 
in  at  last  doing  something  to  please  her! 

"  Is  there  no  other  way,  Tom  ?  "  she  asked,  so  quietly 
that  his  eyes  narrowed  with  a  curious  intentness. 

"  It 's  the  only  one,"  he  said  grimly. 

She  walked  over  to  the  window  and  looked  down  into 
the  area-way.  Her  heart  was  throbbing  loudly. 

"  To-night?  "  she  asked  in  muffled  tones. 

"  If  I  don't  do  it  to-night  I  '11  do  something  worse 
to-morrow,"  he  said. 

"You  promise  me,  —  on  your  word  of  honor?" 

He  started.     "  Certainly.     I  '11  do  it." 

She  turned  to  face  him,  her  back  to  the  light.  He 
could  not  see  the  expression  in  her  eyes. 

"  You  will  do  this  for  me,  Tom?  " 

He  nodded  his  head,  that  was  all. 

"Take  your  own  life?" 

"  I  was  going  to  do  it  anyway.  Before  they  could 
hang  me." 


TOM    BRADDOCK'S    PROMISE  365 

Both  were  silent  for  a  long  time.  Neither  had  changed 
position. 

"  You  won't  tell  Christine  that  I  did  it,  will  you? 
Just  say  that  I  went  away  —  to  South  America,  I 
guess." 

"  I  will  not  tell  her,  Tom." 

"  Is  she  going  to  marry  David  Jenison  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so." 

"  Well,  she  '11  feel  easier  in  her  mind  if  she  knows 
I  'm  gone  for  good,  then.  Maybe  you  'd  better  tell  her 
I  'm  dead." 

He  said  it  as  calmly  as  if  he  were  announcing  the 
time  of  day,  but  he  was  none  the  less  earnest. 

"  There  is  one  alternative,  Tom,"  she  said,  at  last 
coming  to  the  plan  she  had  had  in  mind  from  the 
beginning. 

"  You  're  not  thinking  of  —  of  taking  me  back,"  he 
said,  aghast  at  the  very  thought  of  it. 

"  No.  I  'm  going  to  make  an  offer  that  will  give  you 
greater  satisfaction  than  that.  Will  you  go  away  from 
New  York  forever,  if  I  pay  over  to  you  every  cent  that 
I  received  for  my  share  in  Van  Slye's  —  " 

"  No !  "  he  almost  shouted.  "  You  can't  buy  me  off. 
I  was  willing  to  do  the  right  thing  a  minute  ago.  Now, 
you  've  gone  and  spoiled  it  all."  He  clapped  his  hands 
to  his  eyes ;  his  big  frame  shook  with  rage. 

She  went  quickly  to  hiiru 

"  Now,  I  know  you  are  a  man  —  a  big  man,  Tom. 
I  am  prouder  of  you  now  than  I  ever  was  in  all  my 
life." 

He  looked  bewildered.  "  You  mean,  you  did  that  to 
try  me?  " 

"  To  try  myself,"  was  her  enigmatic  response. 

"  Well?  " 


366  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

She  stood  back  and  looked  at  him  intently. 
"  I  still  have  your  promise.  You  will  do  it  to-night?" 
He  stared  at  her  as  if  he  could  not  believe  his  ears, 
but  he  said  resolutely: 
"  Of  course,  I  will." 


CHAPTER    VIII 

COLONEL,  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS 

SHE  walked  away  from  him  and  sat  down  in  one  of  the 
big  chairs,  as  if  her  limbs  suddenly  had  lost  the  power 
to  support  her.  He  pulled  his  crumpled  hat  from  his 
pocket  and  fumbled  it  for  a  few  moments.  She  sat 
there,  looking  at  him,  her  lips  parted. 

"  Well,"  he  began,  "  I  guess  I  'd  better  be  going." 

"Going?  Where  are  you  going?"  she  demanded, 
suddenly  alert. 

"  Oh,  out  somewhere.  I  've  got  ten  or  twelve  hours 
to  kill." 

She  struggled  to  her  feet. 

"  Tom,  you  are  not  going  to  leave  this  house  until 
to-night." 

He  drew  back,  amazed. 

"What?" 

"  I  am  going  down  to  the  river  with  you." 

Comprehension  was  slow  in  filtering  into  his  brain. 
A  ghastly  pallor  spread  over  his  face. 

"What  did  you  say?" 

"  I  am  going  to  the  river  with  you.  But  you  must 
stay  here  until  to-night.  You  are  not  to  go  out  into 
the  streets.  Do  you  understand?  " 

"  You  can't  mean  that  —  Why,  you  must  be  crazy. 
You  ?  Why  —  why,  I  'm  doing  it  so  that  you  can 
live.  You  can't  mean  what  you  're  thinking  of  — " 
He  could  not  complete  the  sentence.  A  heavy  sweat 
broke  out  on  his  forehead. 


368  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

She  forced  a  miserable  smile  to  her  lips.  "  You  do 
not  understand  me,  Tom.  I  am  going  down  to  the  river 
with  you,  but  I  am  coming  back  alone." 

He  slowly  grasped  the  meaning  of  it. 

"  You  —  you  're  going  down  to  see  that  I  do  make 
an  end  of  it?  "  he  cried. 

"  I  want  to  be  sure,  for  Christine's  sake,"  she  said, 
quite  steadily. 

He  was  glaring  at  her  now.  "  Oh,  I  see.  You  don't 
trust  me,"  he  exclaimed  bitterly.  He  put  out  his  hand 
to  steady  himself  against  the  library  table.  "  I  can't 
say  that  I  blame  you,  either.  But  I  won't  stay  here. 
I  would,  if  it  would  do  any  good,  but  how  can  it?  The 
police  are  likely  to  pile  in  here  any  minute  with  a  war 
rant  for  me.  That  would  be  fine,  would  n't  it  ?  "  He 
strode  to  the  window  and  tried  to  look  through  the 
passage  into  the  street.  "  I  don't  want  to  be  pinched 
now.  Go  and  look  out  of  the  front  windows  —  go  on ! 
See  if  there  's  any  one  out  there." 

She  did  not  move. 

"Ain't  you  going  to  look?"  he  demanded. 

"  The  police?  "  dropped  from  her  lips  dully.  She 
had  overlooked  the  danger  from  that  direction,  although 
her  mind  had  been  so  full  of  it  a  little  while  before. 
"  He  won't  send  them  here,  Tom  —  " 

"  Of  course,  he  will,"  he  broke  in  irascibly.  "  He  's 
crazy  mad,  and  he  '11  act  quickly  to  head  off  Jenison's 
warrant.  I  can't  stay  here  —  not  another  minute. 
Can't  I  get  out  the  back  way  ?  They  may  be  laying  for 
me  in  front.  Don't  look  like  that,  Mary!  I  can  give 
'em  the  slip.  It  won't  do  to  have  them  nab  me  here. 
Just  think  of  the  newspapers !  Wake  up !  Don't  you 
see?  And  listen:  I'll  do  what  I  said  I  would  —  to 
night.  I  swear  it.  You  can  trust  me,  Mary.  Now, 
quick,  show  me  the  way  out  —  and  don't  let  me  bump 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  369 

into  Christine.  I  —  I  could  n't  stand  that.  I  don't 
want  to  lose  my  nerve." 

She  left  him  and  ran  into  the  next  room  to  look  out 
into  the  avenue.  He  followed  rapidly. 

"  There  are  two  men  standing  at  the  corner,"  she 
whispered  in  alarm.  He  would  have  looked  out  if  she 
had  not  dragged  him  away. 

"  It  would  be  terrible  if  they  were  to  come  in  here," 
she  was  saying  distractedly.  "  Yes,  you  must  go." 
She  grasped  his  arm.  "  Tom,  you  may  go  if  you  '11 
promise  to  come  back  to-night." 

"What's  that  for?" 

"  Because  I  insist.  At  ten  o'clock  —  or  any  time  you 
may  choose.  Only  you  must  come  back." 

He  studied  her  face  curiously.  Something  stirred  in 
his  heart,  but  it  had  been  so  long  since  anything  had 
touched  that  organ  that  he  failed  to  credit  himself  with 
an  emotion.  Whatever  it  was,  it  impelled  him  to  sub 
mit  to  her  demand. 

"  I  '11  come,"  he  said  uneasily.  "  I  don't  see  any  use 
in  it,  though.  We  can  say  good-by  now." 

"  No !  "  she  exclaimed.     "  It  must  be  to-night." 

"  All  right,  then.  I  '11  come  at  ten,  —  the  back 
way." 

Without  another  word  she  hurried  him  through  the 
intervening  rooms  to  the  servants'  entrance.  They 
passed  Brooks  in  the  rear  hall.  He  bowed  stiffly  to 
Braddock.  Brooks  had  been  listening  at  a  keyhole. 

She  opened  the  door  and  pointed  the  way  with  a  trem 
bling  hand. 

"  There  is  the  alley,  Tom,  —  through  the  little  gate. 
Be  very  careful." 

He  did  not  respond.  Turning  his  face  away  reso 
lutely,  he  stalked  down  the  narrow  steps,  and,  without 
so  much  as  a  glance  behind,  hurried  off  toward  the 


370  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

alley-gate.  She  watched  him  pass  through  it,  a  strange 
cramp  of  disappointment  in  her  heart  because  he  had 
resisted  the  temptation  to  look  back  at  his  judge.  How 
long  she  stood  there  stark  and  silent  she  did  not  know. 

Brooks,  the  footman,  was  speaking  to  her. 

"  Miss  Christine  is  ill,  ma'am,"  he  said,  from  some 
where  behind  her.  "  The  housekeeper  thinks  she  has 
fainted,  ma'am." 

Colonel  Grand  was  in  a  quandary.  He  was  not  afraid 
of  the  Braddocks,  but  he  was  distinctly  alarmed  over 
the  intervention  and  attitude  of  David  Jenison.  That 
aggressive,  determined  young  man  had  made  a  threat 
which  struck  something  like  terror  to  his  heart.  The 
more  he  thought  of  it,  the  more  insistent  became  the 
conviction  that  Jenison  held  the  whip  hand  over  him. 
It  was  not  altogether  incomprehensible,  this  amazing 
turn  of  affairs.  He  had  drawn  a  revolver,  and  he  had 
put  himself  in  a  decidedly  uncomfortable  position,  with 
at  least  four  witnesses  against  him,  three  of  whom  he 
could  not  hope  to  buy  off  in  case  of  an  inquiry. 

His  first  thought  on  driving  away  from  the  Port- 
man  house  was  to  rush  over  to  the  nearest  police  station 
and  set  the  officers  of  the  law  on  the  track  of  the  man 
he  feared  and  hated,  in  the  hope  that  he  might  forestall 
any  action  on  Jenison's  part.  On  second  thoughts,  he 
decided  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  make  haste  slowly.  He 
was  in  the  unhappy  position  of  having  to  consider  his 
own  daughter  as  one  of  the  witnesses.  His  brain  was 
working  rapidly  despite  the  fact  that  his  daughter  was 
doing  all  in  her  power  to  distract  it  by  an  unrestrained 
flow  of  invective  against  —  not  the  Braddocks,  but 
David  Jenison! 

To  her  surprise  and  subsequent  rage  he  suddenly 
broke  in  with  the  announcement  that  she  was  to  take 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  371 

the  first  afternoon  train  out  of  the  city.  He  had  some 
difficulty  in  making  it  plain  that  her  speedy  departure 
was  necessary  to  her  own  as  well  as  to  his  personal 
comfort.  While  she  was  still  arguing  and  pleading  to 
be  allowed  to  stay  and  fight  it  out  with  him  he  stuck 
his  head  through  the  window  and  instructed  the  driver 
to  take  them  to  his  hotel  instead  of  to  the  police  station, 
as  first  directed. 

With  characteristic  decisiveness  he  directed  Roberta 
to  begin  her  packing  as  soon  as  she  reached  her  room. 
She  entreated  him  to  come  away  with  her  before  Jenison 
could  carry  out  his  threat,  but  he  sharply  refused,  al 
ready  having  in  mind  a  plan  of  action,  desperate  but 
effective.  His  first  step,  however,  met  with  an  unex 
pected  rebuke.  On  the  arrival  at  the  hotel  he  took  the 
cabman  aside  and  deliberately  offered  him  a  large  sum  of 
money  on  condition  that  he  would  swear  that  Braddock 
drew  or  attempted  to  draw  a  revolver.  The  cabman 
thought  it  over.  Then  he  refused. 

"  Money  won't  tempt  me,"  he  said  doggedly,  "  al 
though  God  knows  I  need  it.  You  pulled  a  gun  on  him, 
and  he  did  n't  have  any  that  I  could  see.  That  young 
feller  took  my  name  and  number.  He  'd  catch  me  in 
the  lie,  sure  as  shootin'.  And,  say,  they  sent  a  couple 
of  guys  up  for  perjury  just  last  week,  pals  of  mine, 
they  were.  Not  for  me,  guv'nor.  I  '11  stick  to  the 
truth,  just  to  see  how  it  feels." 

"  But  the  man  has  sworn  to  kill  me !  " 

"  You  pulled  a  gun  on  him,"  retorted  the  driver  sur 
lily.  "  I  don't  like  that  kind  of  business.  And  I  guess, 
if  they  happen  to  ask  me,  I'll  just  mention  that  you 
tried  to  buy  me  off,  too.  Ta-ta !  Maybe  I  '11  see  you 
later."  And  away  he  went,  less  virtuous  than  nature 
intended  him  to  be,  but  wholly  satisfied  that  he  pos 
sessed  a  conscience,  after  all. 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

The  Colonel,  grim  and  furtive,  accompanied  Roberta 
to  the  station  and  saw  her  safely  off.  By  three  or  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  he  began  to  feel  reasonably 
certain  that  Jenison  had  failed  in  his  attempt  to  secure 
a  warrant,  or  had  been  turned  from  his  purpose  by  that 
cool-headed,  far-seeing  woman,  Mary  Braddock.  He 
remained  in  his  rooms,  disdaining  flight  or  subterfuge. 
All  through  the  long,  hot  afternoon,  he  paced  the  floor 
or  sat  in  the  windows,  nervously  awaiting  the  descent  of 
the  officers.  They  did  not  come.  His  spirits  took  wing 
again  as  the  close  of  the  day  drew  down  upon  him.  He 
had  waited,  with  all  the  stoicism  of  the  born  gambler, 
for  the  crash  and  it  had  not  come ;  he  had  taken  the 
chance ;  to  use  his  own  expression,  he  "  stood  pat." 

At  six  o'clock  he  threw  away  his  half-smoked  cigar 
and  sauntered  forth  from  the  hotel.  The  Colonel  was 
very  punctilious  in  that  respect :  he  made  it  a  point  not 
to  smoke  in  the  street. 

Although  he  was  now  quite  comfortably  sure  that 
there  was  no  immediate  danger  of  arrest,  he  still  was 
confronted  by  the  ugly  certainty  that  Tom  Braddock 
was  hard  upon  his  heels  and  that  no  amount  of  per 
suasion  could  have  turned  him  from  his  purpose.  His 
blood  went  cold  from  time  to  time  when  he  permitted 
himself  to  recall  the  set,  implacable  expression  in  the 
man's  face,  and  the  tigerish  strength  that  marked  every 
repressed  movement  of  his  body.  Robert  Grand  knew 
that  Braddock's  sole  object  in  life  now  was  to  kill  him. 
He  knew  that  the  meeting  could  not  long  be  deferred; 
and  when  it  came,  he  would  not  have  one  chance  in  a 
thousand  against  this  wily,  determined  giant.  Brad- 
dock  would  accomplish  his  end,  of  that  he  was  as  sure 
as  he  was  certain  that  the  sun  would  rise  in  the  morn 
ing.  It  was  in  the  cards.  He  knew.  He  was  a  true- 
born  gambler,  with  all  the  instincts,  all  the  wiles,  all 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE   CRONKS     373 

the  insight  of  one  who  courts  Chance  and  fights  it  at 
the  same  time.  Such  men  as  Robert  Grand  go  on  defy 
ing  Fate  to  the  bitter  end,  but  they  know  that  there  will 
be  an  end,  and  in  the  end  they  are  bound  to  lose. 

This  man,  a  lifelong  tempter  of  Fate,  had  learned 
early  in  the  game  that  the  gravest  errors  in  the  cate 
gory  of  crime  came  under  that  lachrymose  heading, 
"  wasted  energy."  Men  of  his  stamp  make  it  a  point 
never  to  do  anything  that  may  be  safely  left  undone, 
nor  are  they  guilty  of  overlooking  the  act  that  should 
be  performed.  They  think  quickly  and  soundly,  and 
they  act  at  the  proper  time:  never  too  soon,  never  too 
late. 

He  had  an  object  in  remaining  in  his  rooms  during 
the  afternoon,  just  as  he  had  a  purpose  in  venturing 
forth  at  six.  That  was  the  hour  when  the  streets  were 
crowded  to  their  capacity  by  restless  homeward-bound 
pedestrians,  and  the  saloons,  by  those  who  paused  in 
their  haste.  His  tall,  slightly  stooped  figure  moved 
through  the  hurrying  throng  until  he  came  to  one  of 
the  most  famous  of  the  sporting  bars.  He  entered,  and, 
without  looking  to  right  or  left,  made  his  way  to 
the  small  cafe  in  the  rear.  A  man  seated  at  one  of  the 
little  tables  looked  up  and  nodded.  Grand  took  the 
chair  opposite  to  this  person  and,  after  an  exchange  of 
greetings  for  the  benefit  of  the  waiter,  ordered  oysters 
and  a  pint  of  musty  ale.  The  Colonel  had  his  principal 
meal  at  midnight. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Braddock  is  ?  "  he  demanded 
as  soon  as  the  waiter  had  left  the  table. 

"  Sure,"  said  the  man  opposite.  "  He  's  laying  low 
in  that  dive  over  on  —  ' 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind,"  interrupted  Grand  sharply. 
Fixing  him  with  his  cold,  steady  eyes,  he  went  on :  "  You 
are  a  wonderful  spotter,  you  are.  So  you  've  been 


374  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

watching  that  place  over  there  all  day,  have  you?  And 
you  are  sure  he  's  there,  eh?  Well,  let  me  tell  you  how 
damned  worthless  you  are.  I  expected  you  'd  have  him 
behind  the  bars  before  ten  o'clock,  but  — 

"  Say,  Colonel,  on  the  square,  the  police  here  are  the 
slowest  bunch  of  —  " 

"  Never  mind,"  snapped  the  Colonel.  "  He  's  still  at 
large,  and  he  's  not  over  there  at  Dick  Cronk's.  So 
much  for  your  fine  detective  work." 

The  man  was  an  operative  for  one  of  the  biggest 
private  detective  agencies  in  New  York.  It  was  his 
duty,  and  had  been  for  years,  to  watch  the  police  in 
order  that  Colonel  Grand's  sub  rosa  interests  might  be 
preserved  from  the  fatal  inconstancies  of  a  greedy 
department. 

Just  now  he  was  devoting  his  time  to  Tom  Braddock, 
laying  the  trap  lor  the  one  man  his  employer  feared 
more  than  he  feared  all  the  laws  of  the  land  and  all  the 
authorities  behind  them. 

The  Colonel  related  his  experiences  of  the  morning. 
The  private  detective  perspired  freely.  He  realized 
how  near  his  employer  had  been  to  death,  and  all  through 
him.  All  efforts  to  explain  his  unhappy  mistake  met 
with  curt  interruptions  from  the  Colonel. 

"  Now,"  said  that  worthy,  in  conclusion,  "  I  want  you 
to  find  out  if  Braddock  has  returned  to  Cronk's  place. 
Naturally  the  police  could  not  find  him  this  afternoon. 
He  was  n't  there.  But  he  may  go  back  to-night.  His 
wife  won't  be  able  to  hold  him  under  her  thumb.  Find 
this  Cronk  fellow  —  the  deformed  one,  I  mean  —  and 
tell  him  I  want  to  see  him.  Tell  him  it  is  worth  just 
one  thousand  dollars  to  him,  and  possibly  five  times  that 
amount.  Send  him  up  the  rear  stairway  at  Broadso's. 
I  '11  be  in  room  five  until  twelve  o'clock  to-night.  Any 
time  after  eight  he  will  find  me  there  —  alone.  You 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND   THE   CRONKS     375 

know  where  he  lives ;  go  and  find  him.  Then  make  sure 
that  Braddock  is  at  Dick  Cronk' s  room.  That 's 
all." 

At  half-past  eight  o'clock  that  evening  Ernie  Cronk 
stole  up  the  stairway  in  the  rear  of  Broadso's  saloon. 
He  slunk  down  the  narrow,  dimly-lighted  hallway  until 
he  came  to  a  door  which  bore  the  numeral  five.  For  a 
full  minute  he  stood  there  irresolute,  held  inactive  by 
the  two  mental  elements  that  bear  such  close  kinship  to 
each  other  —  apprehension  and  greed.  At  last,  with 
a  stealthy  glance  at  the  lighted  transoms  down  the  hall, 
he  tapped  on  the  panel  of  the  door.  Colonel  Grand  him 
self  opened  the  door  and  held  it  ajar  that  he  might 
enter. 

The  hunchback  glanced  quickly  around  the  room. 
He  had  never  been  there  before,  but  he  knew  in  an  in 
stant  where  he  was  and  what  manner  of  traffic  was  car 
ried  on  in  this  small,  close  room  with  the  green-covered 
table  in  the  center,  over  which  was  suspended  a  fully 
lighted  chandelier.  The  door  closed  gently  behind  him 
and  a  key  was  turned  in  the  lock.  Like  a  trapped  rat, 
he  whirled  at  this  ominous  sound. 

Colonel  Grand,  smiling  suavely,  stood  between  him 
and  the  door. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  Ernie,"  said  he  in  his  oiliest 
tones.  "  Sit  down,  my  lad.  We  're  quite  alone  and  we 
won't  be  disturbed.  I  am  master  of  the  hall,  as  they 
would  say  in  England." 

He  motioned  to  a  chair  beyond  the  table,  and,  bow 
ing  politely,  settled  himself  in  one  nearer  the  door. 

"  What 's  the  game? "  demanded  Ernie  Cronk,  his 
long,  bony  fingers  fumbling  his  flat  derby  hat.  "  Brown 
said  you  wanted  to  see  me." 

"Where's  your  brother  Dick?"  asked  the  Colonel 
irrelevantly,  leaning  forward  a  trifle. 


376  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"Dick?  Why,  he's  —  he's  —  I  don't  know  where 
he  is.  He  's  got  a  place  of  his  own  somewheres.  I  don't 
see  much  of  him  these  days.  I  can't  afford  it,  to  be 
honest,  Colonel." 

"  His  reputation,  eh?  Well,  I  don't  blame  you.  He 
did  n't  come  over  here  with  you,  did  he  ?  " 

Ernie  started.  His  gaze  wavered  ever  so  slightly, 
but  the  Colonel  noted  the  change. 

"  I  have  n't  seen  him  in  a  week,"  said  the  hunchback 
steadily. 

"  You  are  lying,  Ernie.  He  's  across  the  street  now, 
waiting  for  you." 

"  So  help  me  God,  Colonel  —  "  began  Ernie,  but  the 
Colonel  checked  the  denial  without  ceremony. 

"  I  am  just  as  sure  that  he  came  over  here  with  you 
to-night  as  I  am  sure  that  you  are  sitting  there.  I 
thought  you  'd  bring  him.  That 's  why  I  sent  for  you. 
I  knew  it  was  the  easiest  way  to  get  him  here.  He 
would  n't  come  if  I  sent  for  him,  but  he  'd  go  anywhere 
on  earth  if  you  asked  him  to.  We  '11  wait  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  Ernie,  before  we  proceed  to  business.  At 
the  end  of  that  period  I  '11  open  the  door  suddenly  and 
we  '11  find  Artful  Dick  Cronk  standing  in  the  hall.  To 
make  it  all  the  more  interesting  I  '11  present  you  with 
ten  dollars  if  he  is  n't  there." 

Ernie's  ferret-like  eyes  blinked  in  sheer  amazement. 
Down  in  his  mean  little  heart  there  always  had  been 
a  dark  fear  of  this  rather  imposing  man;  in  his  mind 
there  was  a  no  uncertain  estimate  of  the  Colonel's  al 
most  supernatural  power  to  read  the  thoughts  of  others. 

"  If  he  's  outside  there  I  don't  know  it,"  he  said 
doggedly. 

"  You  told  him  I  had  sent  for  you,  Ernie.  Don't  lie. 
I  know  you  did.  It 's  all  right.  So,  you  see,  my  little 
strategy  worked  out  beautifully.  I  want  to  see  Dick 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  377 

quite  as  much  as  I  do  you.  We  '11  wait  until  he  comes 
up  to  see  what 's  happened  to  you." 

Ernie  hesitated,  then  broke  out  with  an  uneasy  note 
in  his  voice.  "  You  said  it  would  be  worth  a  thousand 
and  maybe  more  to  me.  Well,  I  'm  square  with  Dick. 
He  divides  with  me.  I  want  to  let  him  in  on  anything 
good  that  conies  my  way." 

"  I  see.  You  are  willing  to  divide  with  him,  so  you 
are  going  to  let  him  in  on  condition  that  he  will  do  all  the 
dirty  work  while  you  sit  back  and  boss  the  job.  I  see. 
You  are  a  great  financier,  Ernie." 

"  You  ought  to  see  my  new  flat  over  in  Eighth 
Street,"  said  Ernie  proudly,  quite  taken  in  by  the 
Colonel's  none  too  gentle  sarcasm. 

"  You  don't  share  that  with  Dick,  I  imagine." 

"Well,  hardly!"  ejaculated  Dick's  brother.  Sud 
denly  his  uneasiness  developed  into  a  sort  of  whining 
protest.  "  Say,  if  you  got  anything  to  say  to  me,  say 
it.  I  got  to  be  moving  along.  If  I  can  make  a  thousand 
honestly,  I  'm  on  the  j  ob.  What 's  — 

"  We  '11  wait  for  Dick,"  observed  the  Colonel  coolly. 
He  took  his  time  to  light  a  long  cigar,  the  hunchback 
looking  on  with  curiosity  and  doubt  in  his  shifty  eyes. 
Then  he  handed  a  cigar  to  his  guest.  "  Have  a  cigar. 
I  'd  offer  you  a  drink,  only  I  don't  believe  in  drinking 
between  friends.  Only  enemies  drink  to  each  other, 
Ernie.  Bear  that  in  mind.  Unconscious  enemies." 

"  I  don't  drink,"  was  the  surly  re  j  oinder. 

Precisely  ten  minutes  later  Colonel  Grand  got  up 
from  his  chair.  In  three  strides  he  was  at  the  door ; 
he  turned  the  key  and  — 

There  was  Dick  Cronk  leaning  against  the  wall  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  hallway,  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
his  long  legs  crossed,  his  "  dicer  "  on  the  back  of  his 
head.  There  was  no  evidence  of  surprise  or  confusion 


378  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

in  his  face ;  he  was  as  composed,  as  serene,  as  if  the 
expected  had  occurred.  A  bland  smile  greeted  the 
triumphant  Colonel. 

"  Evening,  Colonel.  Have  you  seen  anything  of  a 
lost  boy  around  here?  " 

The  other  stood  aside,  giving  him  a  fair  view  of  the 
room.  "  Come  in,  Dick.  I  've  been  expecting  you,"  he 
said  quietly. 

Dick  stared  for  a  second  or  two  longer  than  he  might 
have  done  under  less  trying  conditions. 

"  No,  thanks.  I  '11  wait  out  here,"  he  said  dryly. 
He  did  not  change  his  attitude  in  the  least. 

"  We  've  been  waiting  for  you,"  said  the  Colonel. 
"  We  can't  proceed  without  you.  Do  me  the  honor  to 
step  into  my  parlor."  He  bowed  very  deeply. 

"  '  Said  the  spider  to  the  fly,'  "  quoth  Dick,  shifting 
his  foot. 

Ernie  appeared  behind  Colonel  Grand.  He  indicated 
by  a  significant  motion  of  his  head  that  Dick  was  to 
enter,  and  without  delay.  Slowly  the  long  pickpocket 
unwound  his  legs.  He  then  removed  his  hands  from  his 
pockets,  after  which  he  coolly  strode  into  the  room. 
The  door  was  closed  quickly  after  him.  There  was  an 
inscrutable  smile  on  his  face,  even  before  the  sharp  ex 
clamation  of  concern  fell  from  the  lips  of  Colonel  Grand. 

"  I  've  got  the  key  here  in  my  hand,  Colonel,"  he  ob 
served,  with  his  gentlest  smile.  The  older  man  glared 
for  a  moment  and  then  broke  into  a  short,  even  admiring 
laugh. 

"  You  are  a  wonder,  Dick.  You  must  have  wished 
it  out  of  the  door.  I  '11  swear  my  hand  has  n't  been  off 
the  knob  since  I  opened  it  a  minute  ago.  How  do  you 
doit?" 

"  Simple  twist  of  the  wrist  —  presto  visto,  as  the 
feller  'd  say.  Don't  worry.  I  '11  leave  it  in  the  door 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  379 

when  I  depart.  And  say,  while  we  're  exchanging  com 
pliments,  allow  me  to  hand  you  one.  You  're  some 
thing  of  a  wizard,  too.  I  don't  wonder  you  always 
win  at  poker  if  you  can  see  through  an  oak  door  as 
easy  as  all  that." 

"•  We  'd  better  lock  the  door,"  urged  the  other,  paying 
no  heed  to  the  remark. 

"  All  right.  But,  if  you  don't  mind,  I  '11  keep  the 
key."  He  locked  the  door  and  then  turned  toward 
Ernie,  sudden  comprehension  in  his  face.  "  Oh,  you 
told  him  I  came  over  with  you.  That  explains  it." 
Ernie  protested.  He  would  hare  repeated  the  entire 
conversation  that  had  taken  place  if  the  Colonel  had 
not  stopped  him  with  considerable  acerbity. 

"  You  can  talk  that  over  afterwards,"  he  said  sharply. 
Ernie  winced.  Grand  did  not  observe  the  ugly  gleam 
that  flickered  for  an  instant  in  Dick  Cronk's  eyes. 
"  I  Ve  got  a  proposition  to  make  to  you  fellows." 

"What  has  it  got  to  do  with  Tom  Braddock?" 
demanded  Dick  bluntly.  He  sat  on  the  edge  of  the 
table,  one  foot  touching  the  floor. 

The  Colonel  came  to  the  point  without  delay. 

"  There  's  no  sense  in  beating  about  the  bush  with 
you,  I  see,"  he  remarked.  "  I  want  to  get  this  man 
Braddock  out  of  the  way  for  good  and  all.  He  's  a 
menace  to  me  and  I  *m  willing  to  pay  to  have  him 
completely  blotted  out.  You  fellows  are  out  for  the 
coin  of  the  realm.  You,  Dick,  get  it  in  dribs  by  plun 
dering  the  unwary.  It  's  slow  work  and  dangerous. 
Ernie  lives  off  of  you  with  something  of  the  voracity  of 
a  leech  —  no  offense  intended,  Ernie.  Now,  why  not 
turn  your  hand  to  something  big  and  definite  and 
safe?  "  He  paused  to  let  the  idea  sink  into  Ernie's 
avaricious  soul. 

Dick  drew  a  long  breath.     "  Why  don't  you  kill  him 


380  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

yourself? "  he  asked,  shooting  a  quick,  apprehensive 
look  at  his  brother's  face.  Ernie's  eyes  were  glistening. 

"  I  did  n't  mention  a  killing,  did  I  ?  "  retorted  Grand, 
momentarily  disturbed.  "  If  I  had  that  in  mind,  Dick, 
I  daresay  I  could  accomplish  it  without  calling  on  you 
for  aid.  What  I  want  is  to  see  him  landed  in  Sing  Sing 
for  a  long  term  of  years  —  the  limit,  you  might  say." 

"  See  here,  Grand,  you  've  called  in  the  wrong  stool- 
pigeon  this  time.  I  'm  not  in  that  kind  of  business. 
Never  in  all  my  life  have  I  put  up  a  job  on  a  pal,  never 
have  I  done  a  trick  as  dirt-mean  as  that.  I  guess  you  '11 
have  to  count  me  and  Ernie  out." 

"  Don't  go  off  half-cocked,  Dick,"  admonished  the 
Colonel  easily.  "  You  're  no  fool,  nor  is  Ernie.  It 's 
worth  just  ten  thousand  between  you  if  Tom  Braddock 
is  landed  to-night,  with  the  goods  on  him,  so  to  speak. 
Two  thousand  down,  the  balance  —  " 

"  You  infernal  beast ! "  snarled  Dick,  standing 
squarely  in  front  of  him  and  glaring  into  his  eyes 
with  a  scorn  so  shriveling  that  the  other  drew 
back  with  an  oath.  So  that 's  what  you  wanted  with 
Ernie,  is  it?  Through  him  you  hoped  to  get  me  to 
do  the  trick,  eh?  Well,  you  've  slipped  up  good  and 
hard  on  me.  I  —  " 

Ernie,  his  lips  twitching,  his  fingers  working,  seized 
his  brother's  arm  and  pulled  him  back. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  Dick,  —  listen  to  me,"  he  .  fairly 
croaked  in  his  excitement.  "  Let 's  hear  what  his  plan 
is.  Maybe  we  can  see  a  way  to  help  him.  Le'  me 
talk,  Dick.  Leave  it  to  me.  I  'm  smart  and  sensible. 
You  're  off  your  nut  to-night.  Just  le'  me  do  the 
talking." 

"  That 's  right,"  cried  the  Colonel  quickly.  He 
recognized  an  asset  in  Ernie's  despicable  greed. 

Dick  shook  off  his  brother's  hand.     "  No !     This  is 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  381 

no  business  of  yours,  Ernie.  I  'm  the  one  he  wants  to 
dicker  with.  You  can't  put  up  a  job  on  Brad  and  he 
knows  it.  He  's  just  using  you  to  land  me.  Not  for  ten 
million,  Grand.  Do  you  get  that?  " 

"  Don't  shout  so  that  they  can  hear  you  in  the 
street,"  cried  Grand,  scowling  deeply.  "  Let  me  hare 
a  few  words  with  Ernie." 

"  Yes,  Dick,  you  'd  better  shut  up,"  added  Ernie 
eagerly.  "  I  '11  just  talk  it  over  with  the  Colonel.  If 
we  find  we  can't  do  it,  why,  we  '11  tell  him  so,  that 's  all. 
I  tell  you  ten  thousand  's  a  lot  of  money.  We  could 
open  the  nicest  kind  of  a  cigar  stand  with  that,  and  live 
like  honest,  respectable  men  ever  afterward." 

Dick  sank  back  against  the  table  and  studied  his 
brother's  livid  face  with  the  darkest  despair  in  his 
eyes.  His  shoulders  drooped  suddenly. 

"  Honest  and  respectable  ? "  he  said,  passing  his 
hand  over  his  eyes.  "  You  mean,  you  could  be  all  of 
that,  but  where  would  I  come  in?  Would  you  let  me 
stand  behind  the  showcase  in  your  fine  store?  Would  I 
ever  get  so  much  as  a  pipeful  of  tobacco  out  of  it? 
No !  Don't  try  to  argue  with  me,  Ernie ;  my  mind  's 
made  up.  I  came  here  to-night  just  to  save  you  from 
a  game  like  this.  I  knowed  you  'd  be  for  it  strong,  and 
I  'd  just  have  to  do  it  if  I  was  n't  here  in  the  beginning 
to  cork  it.  Look  here,  Grand,  I  don't  know  just  what 
your  plan  is,  but  I  '11  tell  you  this :  I  '11  blow  on  you 
as  sure  as  I  'm  alive  if  you  try  to  carry  it  out.  Tom 
Braddock  is  an  honest  man  these  days.  He  's  not  a 
whiskey-soaked  bum  any  longer.  He  cracked  me  over 
the  head  this  morning  —  you  can  see  the  plaster  there 
—  but  I  don't  hold  it  up  against  him.  He  considers  me 
his  friend  because  I  swore  I  'd  stand  by  him  if  he  'd 
hold  back  on  getting  you  right  away.  He  trusts  me 
and  he  thinks  you  're  all  right,  too,  Ernie.  Now,  once 


382  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

and  for  all,  I  'm  not  in  on  this  dirty  work.  And  neither 
is  Ernie!  " 

Colonel  Grand  sat  motionless  before  the  angry  young 
man,  quietly  tapping  on  the  table  with  his  long,  white 
fingers,  a  faint  smile  on  his  half-crescent  mouth. 

"  We  '11  see,"  he  said  deliberately.  "  Perhaps  you  'd 
better  let  Ernie  do  the  talking.  I  don't  believe  you 
are  as  wise  and  discreet  as  you  might  be,  Dick." 

Dick  whirled  upon  Ernie,  who  stood  behind  him.  The 
hunchback  was  staring  at  him  with  a  strange,  unfamiliar 
expression  in  his  face.  It  was  a  look  of  combined  won 
der  and  awe. 

"  Come  on,  Ernie.    Let  Js  get  out  of  here." 

"  Just  a  moment,  Ernie,"  interposed  the  Colonel. 
"  Sit  down  and  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say." 

But,  for  the  first  time  since  it  entered  his  body, 
Ernie's  soul  arose  above  the  sordid  flesh.  It  came  as 
from  a  great  distance  and  slowly,  but  it  came  to  take 
its  frightened,  subdued  stand  beside  its  kin. 

"  I  guess  I  '11  be  going,"  he  said,  and  even  as  he 
uttered  the  words  he  wondered  why  he  did  so.  "  Ten 
thousand  's  a  lot  of  money,  but  if  Dick  thinks  it 's  too 
dirty  for  us  to  touch,  why,  I  'm  with  him.  You  can 
count  me  out."  He  put  on  his  hat  and  started  toward 
the  door. 

Dick  could  hardly  believe  his  ears.  "  Great  Scott, 
Ernie,  you  —  you  —  Well,  you  're  j  ust  great,  kid !  " 

"  Just  a  minute,"  said  Grand,  arising  slowly,  an 
ominous  glitter  in  his  eyes.  He  towered  above  the 
hunchback,  who  was  near  the  door.  "  I  don't  intend  to 
let  you  go  until  you  've  heard  all  I  have  to  say." 

"  Get  out  of  the  way,  Grand,"  said  the  pickpocket, 
his  fingers  clenched  so  tightly  that  the  backs  of  his 
hands  were  white. 

"  There 's   only   one  way  to   handle   swine  of  your 


breed,"  sneered  Grand ;  "  and  that  is  with  a  club.  You 
are  a  fine,  virtuous  pair,  you  are.  I  've  got  a  j  ob  for 
you  to  do  to-night,  and  I  have  the  means  of  com 
pelling  you  to  do  it.  You  must  not  get  it  into  your 
heads  that  I  did  not  prepare  myself  for  either  view 
you  might  take  of  the  matter.  I  'm  not  such  an  idiot 
as  all  that.  Now  we  '11  indulge  in  a  little  plain  talk. 
You  are  a  couple  of  low-down  sneak  thieves,  both  of 
you.  Of  the  —  " 

"  Hold  on,  Grand ! "  snapped  Dick.  "  None  of 
that!" 

"  Of  the  two,  Ernie  is  the  lower.  You  miserable, 
misshapen  scoundrel,  you  are  worse  than  the  vilest  thief 
that  ever  lived.  Dick  is  an  angel  compared  —  " 

"  I  '11  get  you  for  that !  "  quavered  Dick,  so  shaken 
by  rage  that  he  could  scarcely  hold  himself  erect. 

"  No,  you  won't,"  squeaked  Ernie.  "  I  '11  get  him ! 
I'll  cut  his  heart  out!" 

Grand  reached  out  with  his  left  hand  and  touched 
a  button  in  the  wall.  In  the  other  hand  gleamed  a 
revolver. 

"  If  I  press  either  the  button  or  the  trigger  it  will 
mean  the  end  of  you,  you  dogs.  Now,  listen  to  me. 
At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  are  two  policemen  and  a  couple 
of  detectives.  They  were  duped  into  coming  here  by  the 
word  that  a  sucker  was  to  be  fleeced  in  Broadso's  rooms 
to-night.  All  I  have  to  do  is  to  press  the  button  and 
call  for  help.  This  hallway  will  swarm  with  waiters 
and  men  from  all  the  rooms,  and  the  cops  will  come  on 
the  run.  I  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  turn  you  over  to 
them  as  a  couple  of  thieves  who  came  here  to  rob  me. 
Trust  me  to  make  out  a  case  against  you." 

"  I  'm  no  thief !  "  shouted  Ernie.  Dick  was  looking 
about,  like  a  rat  in  a  trap,  his  teeth  showing  in  the  des 
peration  of  alarm. 


884  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  You  fellows  will  come  to  terms  with  me  inside  of 
two  minutes  or  I  '11  land  you  both  in  the  pen  so  quickly 
you  won't  know  it 's  been  done.  I  want  this  man  Brad- 
dock  put  out  of  the  way.  I  've  got  two  men  waiting 
to  go  with  you,  so  don't  imagine  that  you  can  play 
me  false  after  you  leave  this  room.  It  is  all  cut  and 
dried.  You  are  to  carry  out  a  plan  I  have  for  landing 
Braddock.  The  police  will  —  " 

"  I  '11  see  you  hanged  first,"  grated  Dick  Cronk. 
"  You  are  the  king  of  crooks,  you  are." 

"  Don't  let  him  call  the  police,  Dick,"  whined  Ernie, 
shrinking  back  against  the  wall.  "  I  'm  no  thief.  I 
won't  go  to  j  ail !  I  won't !  " 

"Well,  that's  just  where  you'll  land,  my  handsome 
bucko,"  said  the  malevolent  Colonel.  "  Dick  won't  mind 
it,  but  it  will  be  a  new  experience  for  you,  your  rev 
erence.  'Gad,  you  toad !  " 

"  Let  me  go !  "  cried  Ernie.  "  Keep  Dick  here,  but 
let  me  out.  Dick  will  help  you,  honest  he  will.  I  'm 
no  thief.  You  would  n't  send  me  to  j  ail !  " 

"  Oh,  I  would  n't,  eh?  "  snarled  the  other.  "  You  '11 
look  fine  in  stripes,  you  will.  And  nothing  under  the 
sun  can  save  you  if  I  push  this  button.  Ten  years, 
that 's  what  it  will  be.  The  Cronk  brothers !  The  sick 
brothers!  Why,  a  jury  would  give  you  the  full  limit. 
It  will  please  your  brother,  after  all  these  years,  to 
see  you  doing  time  —  Here !  Drop  that,  curse 
you!" 

There  was  a  deafening  report,  a  blinding  flash  and  a 
cloud  of  smoke.  Then  a  gurgling  groan,  the  scraping 
of  a  heavy  body  against  the  wall,  and  Colonel  Grand 
slid  to  the  floor,  his  arms  and  legs  writhing  in  the  last 
tremendous  spasm  of  death. 

Neither  of  the  Cronks  moved  for  a  full  half-minute. 
They  gazed  as  if  stupefied  at  the  bloody  face  of  the 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  385 

great  gambler;  they  saw  his  legs  stiffen  and  his  chest 
swell  widely  and  then  collapse. 

"  Give  me  the  key !  "  It  was  a  whispered  shriek  that 
leaped  from  the  lips  of  the  hunchback.  "  Good  God, 
he  's  dead !  They  '11  hang  us  !  " 

He  sprang  to  Dick's  side  and  snatched  the  door  key 
from  his  stiff  fingers.  As  he  leaped  toward  the  door, 
through  the  powder-smoke,  he  stumbled  over  the  body 
of  the  dead  man.  He  crashed  to  the  floor  but  was  up 
again  in  a  flash,  gasping,  groaning  with  terror.  An 
instant  later  he  was  in  the  hall.  Like  a  cat  he  sped  past 
the  still  closed  doorways  beyond  and  reached  the  stair 
way  before  a  human  being  appeared  in  sight. 

Half-way  down  stairs  he  met  men  rushing  upward, 
attracted  by  the  pistol  shot.  He  actually  tried  to  clear 
their  heads  in  a  frantic  leap.  He  was  caught  in  the 
air,  struggling  and  kicking  furiously,  to  be  borne  down 
and  held  by  strong  arms.  Shrieking  with  rage  and 
terror,  he  fought  like  a  wild  cat. 

"  I  did  n't  do  it !  "  he  screamed,  over  and  over  again> 
foaming  at  the  mouth.  "  It  was  n't  me !  It  was  n't  me ! 
Oh,  God !  Oh,  God !  " 

Some  one  struck  him  a  violent  blow  on  the  mouth. 
The  foam  was  red  from  that  time  on.  In  the  hallway 
above  there  were  shouts  and  the  sounds  of  rushing  foot 
steps.  Loud  oaths  of  amazement  came  ringing  down 
the  corridor.  A  man  in  his  shirt  sleeves  appeared  at 
the  top  of  the  stairs,  his  face  livid  with  excitement. 

"  Hang  on  to  him !  "  he  shouted.  "  Don't  let  him  get 
away.  We  Ve  got  the  other  one !  " 

"  What 's  the  matter  up  there  ?  "  grunted  one  of  the 
two  officers  holding  Ernie,  whose  feet  were  now  braced 
against  the  steps  in  the  effort  to  keep  them  from  drag 
ging  him  upward. 

"  I  did  n't  do  it ! "  he  panted  between  his  teeth. 

25 


386  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Search  me  1  See  if  I  have  a  revolver !  I  never  carry 
a  gun.  Dick  always  carries  one.  Let  me  go !  Let  me 
go !  Why  don't  you  go  and  get  Dick  ?  " 

"  Shut  up,  you !  " 

They  dragged  him  to  the  door  of  No.  5.  He  caught 
sight  of  his  brother  standing  between  two  men  near  the 
body  of  Colonel  Grand,  beside  which  a  coatless  man  was 
kneeling.  Another  man  was  going  through  the  pockets 
of  the  tall,  glassy-eyed  prisoner. 

From  an  inner  pocket  the  searcher  drew  forth  a  re 
volver.  With  nervous  fingers  he  broke  the  weapon.  A 
cry  fell  from  his  lips. 

"  Here 's  the  gun.  One  shell  empty.  Barrel  still 
hot.  You  low-lived  scoundrel !  " 

Dick's  eyes  never  left  the  bloody  face  of  the  murdered 
man.  He  was  breathing  heavily,  as  if  in  pain  or  extreme 
terror. 

"Is  he  dead?"  he  whispered  through  his  bloodless, 
motionless  h'ps.  Just  then  he  looked  up  and  saw  Ernie 
at  the  doorway,  bloody-faced,  cringing,  wide-eyed  with 
dread.  Two  burly  policemen  were  dangling  his  ill- 
favored  body  almost  clear  of  the  floor. 

"  Dead  as  a  door-nail,"  said  the  kneeling  man. 
"  Here  's  his  gun  with  all  the  chambers  full.  He  did  n't 
have  a  chance  to  shoot.  Say,  this  is  the  worst  thing 
I  've  ever  heard  of.  You  '11  swing  for  this,  you  dog !  " 

Ernie  sent  up  a  shriek.  "  Swing  for  it !  I  did  n't 
do  it!  You  can't  prove  anything  on  me.  Can  they, 
Dick?  What  are  you  holding  me  for?  Let  go!  I'm 
an  honest,  respectable  citizen  of  New  York.  I  'm  —  " 

"  Call  a  wagon,"  shouted  one  of  the  officers  to  a  new 
comer.  "  Nasty  job  here.  We  've  got  the  murderer  all 
right."  Dick  straightened  up  at  this.  He  turned  to 
look  at  the  condemning  pistol  in  the  hand  of  the  man 
who  had  taken  it  from  his  pocket.  A  great  shudder 
shook  his  frame. 


COLONEL  GRAND  AND  THE  CRONKS  387 

"  You  got  me  all  right,"  he  said.  "  You  won't  be 
lieve  it,  of  course,  but  he  pulled  a  gun  first.  I  had  to 
shoot.  Get  me  out  of  this.  If  you  don't  I  '11  kick  his 
face  to  a  jelly.  I've  always  wanted  to."  He  glanced 
at  Err-ie,  a  crooked  smile  on  his  lips. 

"  Well,  Ernie,  I  guess  it 's  going  to  come  true.  I 
always  said  it 


CHAPTER    IX 

IN    THE    LITTLE    TRIANGULAR    "  SQUARE  " 

JENISON  did  not  seek  the  warrant  for  Grand's  arrest. 
He  remained  in  the  Portman  house  until  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon,  vastly  exercised  by  the  fainting  spell  that 
had  come  over  Christine.  The  household  was  consider 
ably  upset  by  the  occurrences  of  the  morning;  old  Mr. 
Portman  was  the  only  person  about  the  place  who  ap 
peared  to  be  in  ignorance  of  impending  peril  and  disas 
ter.  He  went  out  for  his  drive  at  two,  but  was  not  ac 
companied  by  his  daughter,  a  defection  which  surprised 
and  irritated  him  not  a  little. 

Christine  was  herself  again  in  a  little  while.  She 
stayed  in  her  room,  attended  by  the  entertaining  Miss 
Noakes,  who  struggled  manfully,  so  to  speak,  in  her 
efforts  to  shatter  the  depression  that  surrounded  the 
young  girl  like  a  blank  wall. 

Downstairs  Mary  Braddock  listened  to  David's  ear 
nest  eager  plea  for  an  immediate  marriage.  Now  that 
Braddock  had  promised  to  leave  at  once  for  the  far 
West,  never  to  return,  it  seemed  to  David  that  all  of 
their  problems  were  solved.  She  had  told  hinr1  that  her 
husband  was  to  depart  by  the  midnight  train,  and 
that  it  was  her  intention  to  go  with  him  to  the  depot. 
David  begged  her  to  take  him  along  with  her,  but  she 
was  firm  in  her  determination  to  go  alone.  Braddock 
had  made  it  a  condition,  and  she  could  not  break  faith 
with  him. 

Shortly  after  the  noon  hour  she  drove  up  town  to 
the  bank.  On  her  return  she  informed  David  that  she 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    389 

had  drawn  out  a  sum  of  money  to  be  delivered  to  Brad- 
dock  before  the  train  pulled  out.  She  would  not  say 
how  much  she  had  drawn,  except  that  it  was  sufficient 
to  start  the  man  out  afresh  in  the  world,  and  to  keep 
him  comfortable  for  a  long  time  to  come,  if  he  should 
adhere  -to  his  decision  to  eschew  drink  and  cards  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 

"Where  is  he  going,  Mrs.  Braddock?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "  I  will  not  tell  you  that,  David. 
Only  he  and  I  are  to  know." 

"  And  you  are  to  send  him  money  from  time  to 
time?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not  to  send  him  a  penny." 

"  He  goes  to-night  —  positively  ?  " 

"  He  goes  to-night,  positively." 

"  And  he  refuses  to  see  Christine  ?  " 

"  Why  should  he  see  her  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,"  said  he  dubiously.  "  It  seems 
rather  hard,  don't  you  think?  " 

"  Yes.  He  worships  her,  David.  Yes,  it  is  hard.  He 
is  going  in  this  way  because  it  makes  it  easier  —  for 
both  of  them,  he  says.  You  see,  David,  he  is  doing  it 
for  her  sake,  not  for  his  own.  If  he  were  to  do  things 
just  now  for  his  own  sake,  he  would  kill  Grand  instead 
of  running  away  from  him." 

"  He 's  a  good  deal  of  a  man,  after  all,  Mrs. 
Braddock." 

"  A  good  deal  of  a  man,"  she  repeated. 

"  He  wishes  Christine  to  be  my  wife.  He  told  you 
so,  but  she  won't  consent  until  you  tell  her  that  it  is  all 
right.  It 's  silly  of  her.  I  'm  never  going  to  give  her 
up,  and  she  knows  it." 

She  faced  him  suddenly.  "  You  ask  me  why  the  mar 
riage  cannot  take  place  to-morrow,  David.  Would  you 
be  just  as  eager  to  have  it  take  place  if  her  father  de- 


390  THE    ROSE    IN    THE   RING 

cided  to  change  his  mind  and  remain  here,  with  all  the 
consequences  such  an  act  might  create?  " 

"  Certainly,"  he  replied  promptly. 

"You  do  not  forget  what  he  is,  what  he  has  been, 
what  he  may  yet  become  ?  " 

"  That  has  nothing  to  do  with  it.    I  love  Christine." 

"  Would  you  be  willing  to  stand  at  his  side,  the  hus 
band  of  his  daughter,  and  say,  *  I  am  content  to  be 
called  your  son  '  —  would  you  ?  " 

David  stared  hard  at  the  floor  for  a  moment.  "  I 
think  that  is  rather  an  unfair  question,  Mrs.  Braddock, 
when  we  stop  to  recall  the  fact  that  both  you  and  Chris 
tine  have  denied  him  for  years.  I  will  call  myself  his 
son  when  you  call  him  husband  and  Christine  speaks 
of  him  as  father  —  to  the  world.  You  can  hardly  ex 
pect  me  to  be  proud  of  what  you  are  ashamed  to 
own." 

She  bowed  her  head  in  sudden  humility.  "  I  was 
wrong,"  she  said.  "  I  deserve  the  rebuke." 

"  I  have  hurt  you.     Forgive  me." 

She  placed  her  hand  on  his,.  He  observed  that  it  was 
as  cold  as  ice.  "  While  it  is  true  that  we  have  denied 
him,  my  dear  David,  nevertheless  we  do  belong  to  him. 
She  is  his  daughter.  That  is  what  I  am  trying  to  make 
plain  to  you." 

"  If  she  chooses  to  call  herself  his  daughter,  I  am 
perfectly  content  to  call  myself  his  son." 

"  I  wanted  to  hear  you;  say  that,  David.  You  must 
take  her  as  Thomas  Braddock's  daughter,  quite  as  much 
as  you  do  as  Albert  Tortman's  granddaughter." 

"I  am  not  deceiving  myself,"  he  said  with  a  smik. 

"  Then  I  am  ready  to  give  my  consent  to  an  imme 
diate  marriage,"  she  said.  For  the  first  time  since  their 
interview  began  she  spoke  hurriedly.  A  feverish  light 
came  into  her  eyes,,  burninig  bright  and  dry. 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    391 

He  sprang  to  his  feet,  triumphant.  "  Come  with  me 
to  her !  She  will  name  the  day  if  you  —  " 

"  I  shall  name  the  day,  David,"  she  said  evenly.  "  It 
must  be  to-night,  —  this  very  night,  —  before  her  father 
goes  away." 

"Are  you  in  earnest?"  he  cried,  scarcely  believing 
that  he  heard  aright. 

"  She  loves  you  with  all  her  soul,  and  you  love  her. 
You  are  her  protector,  the  stone  wall  between  her  and 
all  the  unkind  things  of  life.  She  needs  you  now.  To 
morrow  may  bring  the  hour  of  trial.  It  is  best  that  she 
should  have  you  to  lean  upon.  It  must  be  to-night. 
Come ;  we  will  go  to  her.  It  is  nearly  three  o'clock. 
There  is  much  to  be  done  between  now  and  the  time  that 
your  train  starts  for  Richmond.  I  want  her  to  be  in 
Jenison  Hall  to-morrow." 

Together  they  went  to  Christine.  Half  an  hour  later 
he  hurried  away  from  the  house,  a  dozen  imperative 
duties  to  be  performed  between  that  time  and  seven 
o'clock.  He  went  with  a  joyous  spirit,  a  leaping  heart, 
and  with  the  will  to  accomplish  all  that  was  required 
of  him  in  that  short  space  of  time. 

At  seven  Christine  and  he  were  to  be  married  in  the 
huge,  old-fashioned  drawing-room ;  at  eight-thirty  they 
would  be  on  board  the  train,  bound  for  Jenison  Hall. 
He  was  to  take  her  away  with  him,  far  from  all  the  ugly 
possibilities  that  crept  up  from  all  sides  to  threaten  her. 
Mary  Braddock  refrained  from  telling  Christine  even 
so  much  as  she  had  told  David  concerning  the  plans  of 
her  husband.  The  girl  was  allowed  to  believe  that  the 
man  was  already  on  his  way  to  the  far  West.  There 
was  a  rather  trying  scene  when  Christine  learned  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  her  to  see  her  father.  She  broke 
down  and  wept,  crying  out  bitterly  that  she  might  have 
been  able  to  comfort  him  if  she  had  been  given  the 


392  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

opportunity.  It  was  with  some  difficulty  and  the  exer 
cise  of  considerable  patience  that  her  mother  convinced 
her  that  they  had  acted  for  the  best. 

"  Some  day  I  shall  go  to  see  him,  mother,"  she  had 
said  with  a  resoluteness  that  brought  a  strange  gleam 
to  the  eyes  of  the  older  woman.  "  I  am  sorry  for  him. 
He  needs  some  one  to  love  him.  I  am  sure  he  is  not  so 
wicked  as — " 

"  You  must  be  guided  by  what  David  says,  my  child. 
Remember  that  you  will  have  more  than  yourself  to  con 
sider,"  was  the  evasive  remark  of  Mary  Braddock. 

Brooks  was  sent  off  with  a  letter  to  Dr.  Browne,  the 
rector,  requesting  him  to  conduct  the  marriage  cere 
mony.  Maid-servants  packed  Christine's  trunks,  all 
enjoined  to  secrecy.  Ruby  Noakes  and  old  Joey  at 
tended  to  a  few  of  the  many  preparations  that  were 
being  hurried  through  with  such  nervous  haste. 

All  through  the  long  afternoon  Mary  Braddock  lived 
under  the  most  intense  strain  of  suspense  and  appre 
hension.  Uppermost  in  her  mind  was  the  question :  had 
he  succeeded  in  eluding  the  watchers  who  were  on  his 
trail? 

At  four  o'clock  she  went  to  her  father,  prepared  to 
tell  him  all  that  had  transpired  during  the  past  thirty- 
six  hours.  She  held  nothing  back  from  the  old  man, 
not  even  Braddock's  gruesome  design.  They  were 
closeted  together  for  more  than  an  hour.  That  which 
passed  between  father  and  daughter  went  no  farther 
than  the  walls  of  the  secluded  little  room  that  he  called 
his  study.  She  came  forth  from  the  trying  interview 
with  her  head  high  and  her  heart  low. 

The  old  man's  last  tremulous  words  to  her  were  these: 
"  Well,  Mary,  God  shows  all  of  us  the  way.  Sometimes 
the  way  is  hard,  but  we  reach  the  end  if  we  look  neither 
to  the  right  nor  the  left,  —  nor  behind.  What  you 
have  just  told  me  is  terrible.  Is  it  the  only  way?  " 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    393 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  only  way." 

He  bowed  his  head  and  said  no  more.  She  kissed  his 
gray  hair  and  passed  out  from  the  room,  closing  the 
door  gently  behind  her. 

David  and  Christine  were  married  at  seven  o'clock. 
The  shadow  which  hung  over  the  household,  the  griev 
ous  exigency  which  made  haste  so  imperative,  did  much 
toward  suppressing  the  joy  and  gladness  that  under 
other  conditions  would  have  filled  the  house  and  the 
hearts  of  all  therein.  Mr.  Portman,  gray-faced  and 
taciturn,  gave  the  bride  in  marriage.  There  were  but 
three  witnesses  outside  of  the  family.  Joey  Noakes  and 
Ruby  were  there,  and  a  single  college  friend  to  whom 
David  had  gone  in  the  stress  of  necessity. 

Mother  and  daughter  said  their  farewells  in  private. 
Christine  sobbed  in  her  mother's  arms,  imploring  her 
to  come  away  with  them  at  once,  to  be  happy  forever. 
Mary  Braddock's  eyes  were  dry  and  burning,  her 
hands  were  cold,  her  heart  like  ice. 

"  I  will  come  some  time,  my  darling,  but  —  not  now. 
You  must  make  your  home  before  I  come  to  see  you  in 
it.  I  shall  go  abroad,  as  I  told  you  this  afternoon. 
Father  agrees  with  me  that  it  is  the  thing  to  do  under 
the  circumstances.  When  I  return,  my  child,  I  will 
come  to  see  you  in  Jenison  Hall.  You  will  be  its  true 
mistress  by  that  time.  You  will  have  discovered  the 
true  happiness  of  life.  Until  then,  my  darling,  you 
will  not  have  lived.  Even  I  found  joy  and  happiness  in 
their  fullest  estate  before  I  came  to  know  bitterness  and 
unrest.  You  are  to  be  very,  very  happy.  I  will  come 
to  you  in  the  midst  of  it  all." 

After  they  were  gone  and  the  lights  were  out  Mary 
Braddock,  wide-eyed  and  tense,  stole  down  to  the  stables 
and  waited  for  the  father  of  the  bride.  She  was  there 
a  long  while  ahead  of  the  appointed  time —  hours,  it 
seemed  to  her. 


394-  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  came  at  last,  slinking  up  from  the  mouth  of  the 
alley  where  a  single  street-light  spread  a  dim  glow  in 
which  he  resolved  himself  for  a  moment  in  transit,  only 
to  be  blotted  out  again  as  if  by  some  magic  process. 
With  narrowed,,  anxious  eyes  and  alert  cars  she  waited, 
standing  there  in  the  half-open  door  of  the  carriage- 
house.  Suddenly  he  grew  up  out  of  the  darkness,  almost 
at  her  side. 

"  Tom,"  she  cried  out  softly. 

He  came  straight  to  her.  His  eyes,  used  to  the  dark 
ness  and  made  keen  by  the  ever-present  sense  of  danger, 
had  seen  the  faintly  white  splotch  in  the  night  that 
marked  her  face  for  him.  He  had  seen  and  had  waited 
to  make  sure  that  it  was  she  who  stood  there  peering- 
forth. 

"  Well,.  I  'm  here,"  he  said  in  a  hoarse,  restrained 
whisper.  u  Have  you  heard  what 's  happened  ?  " 

"  They  are  not  pursuing  you  ?  What  is  it, 
Tom?  " 

"  Grand  has  been  murdered,.  Mary !  " 

For  a  full  minute  they  stood  as  motionless  as  statues, 
he  listening  for  the  footstep  that  had  been  in  his  ears  for 
days,  she  stunned  by  the  appalling  news.  Her  voice 
was  shrill  with  agony  when  she  finally  broke  the  silence 
—  agony,  despair,  horror,  all  combined  in  one  bitter 
cry. 

"  You  promised  me  you  would  n't  do  that!  " 

"  Sh!  Be  careful,"  he  whispered,  coming  close 
to  her  side.  "  I  did  n't  do  it,  Mary,  —  so  help  me, 
I  did  n'tl  Wait !  Listen  to  me !  I  'm  telling  you  the 
truth."  She  had  fallen  back  against  the  wall  of  the 
building.  Her  breathing  was  quick,  as  if  horror  was 
strangling  her.  "  They  caught  the  murderers,  — 
a  couple  of  gamblers  at  Broadso's,  I  heard.  I  did  n't 
hear  much  about  it.  The  newsboys  were  shout- 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    395 

ing  it  over  in  Broadway  half  an  hour  ago.  I  bought 
a  paper,  but  it  gave  no  details,  —  except  that  he  is 
dead." 

"  He  is  dead?  Oh,  Tom,  Tom,  you  do  swear  to  me 
that  you  had  no  hand  in  it.  I  could  n't  bear  that  now." 
Her  arms  were  spread  out  against  the  building,  her 
hands  clenched.  In  the  darkness  he  could  see  her  eyes, 
wide  and  staring. 

"  I  swear  it,  Mary.  I  was  not  within  a  mile  of 
Broadso's.  I  am  as  innocent  of  that  murder  as  you 
are.  You  will  know  the  truth  to-morrow,  even  if  you 
don't  believe  me  now.  I  '11  never  hear  the  true  story. 
Oh,  I  don't  mind  saying  I  would  have  given  my  very 
soul  to  have  been  the  one  to  do  it.  Maybe  you  think 
I  'm  pleased  that  he  is  dead.  Well,  I  'm  not !  I  be 
grudge  those  fellows  the  pleasure  they  had  in  killing 
him.  But,  this  is  not  the  time  or  place  to  talk.  Let 's 
say  good-by  here,  Mary.  You  go  back  to  the  house. 
Let  me  go  and  do  it  alone." 

She  swayed  toward  him.  He  caught  her  on  his  arm, 
—  an  arm  of  iron.  She  put  her  hand  to  his  face. 

"  Tom,"  she  whispered,  "  God  has  taken  a  hand  in 
our  affairs  —  in  yours.  You  must  believe  in  God !  You 
must  give  yourself  to  Him  to-night." 

His  voice  broke  a  little.  "I  —  I  guess  you  '11  have  to 
do  the  prayin',  Mary.  Go  back  to  the  house  now  and 
send  up  a  little  prayer  for  me.  That 's  all  you  've  got 
to  do.  I  can't  stay  here.  It 's  dangerous.  There  is 
the  chance  that  the  police  may  try  to  connect  me  with 
this  murder.  It 's  known  that  I  was  after  him.  Don't 
you  see?  Good-by,  Mary,  I  —  " 

"  I  am  going  with  you,  Tom." 

She  grasped  his  arm  tightly.  He  breathed  heavily 
once  or  twice;  a  groan  broke  in  his  throat. 

"  All  right,"  he  said.     She  felt  the  great  muscle  in 


396 

his  arm  swell  and  relax  again.  "  Do  you  know  the 
way,  Tom?  "  she  asked. 

"  That  next  street  below  takes  us  to  the  docks.  I 
walked  down  there  this  morning.  By  heaven,  Mary,  I 
think  you  might  spare  yourself  all  this.  It 's  too  hor 
rible  to  even  think  of.  Why  —  why,  I  just  can't  do 
it  with  you  looking  on.  What  do  you  think  I  am?  " 

"  You  said  you  would  do  it,  Tom,"  she  insisted  dully. 

"  Bob  Grand  is  dead,"  he  reminded  her.  "  I  said  that 
he  and  I  could  n't  live  on  the  same  earth.  It 's  hard  to 
think  of  going  straight  to  hell  with  him  not  more  than 
two  hours  ahead  of  me." 

"  Come,"  she  said,  starting  off  resolutely.  He  caught 
up  with  her,  and  they  hurried  through  the  alley  side  by 
side. 

"  /  'II  do  it,  all  right,"  he  said,  after  they  had  trav 
ersed  nearly  two  blocks  in  silence.  The  words  came  as 
an  epitome  of  the  struggle  that  was  going  on  in  his 
mind. 

"  Don't  walk  so  fast,  Tom.     You  are  tiring  me." 

"  Tiring  you  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  He  looked  at  her 
bent  head  and  laughed,  —  a  short,  mirthless  chuckle. 
"  You  '11  have  to  forgive  me,  Mary.  You  see  I  've  been 
thinking  of  something  else.  Men  walk  fast  when  they  're 
in  a  hurry." 

"  Is  it  much  farther?  "  He  could  scarcely  hear  the 
words. 

"  Six  or  eight  blocks,  if  I  remember  right." 

She  did  not  speak  again  until  they  were  in  the  middle 
of  the  second  block  beyond.  From  time  to  time  he 
turned  to  look  at  her,  his  benumbed  soul  trying  to  get 
in  touch  with  the  spirit  that  moved  her  to  come  with 
him  to  the  very  brink  of  the  grave.  He  was  puzzled, 
he  could  not  understand  it  in  her.  If  there  was  a  hope 
of  any  kind  lying  buried  under  the  weight  that  was  in 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    39T 

his  breast,  he  neither  recognized  nor  encouraged  it. 
There  was  an  awful,  growing  dread  that  she  did  not 
intend  to  let  him  go  in  alone.  He  tried  to  put  down 
the  ghastly  fear.  His  glances  at  her  became  more 
frequent,  less  furtive.  The  thought  of  this  splendid, 
noble,  beautiful  creature  going  down  into  the  black 
waters  after  him  was  almost  beyond  his  power  of  com 
prehension,  and  yet  he  was  slowly  allowing  it  to  take 
a  hold  on  his  senses. 

He  came  to  an  abrupt  stop,  rigid  with  horror.  His 
hand  fell  upon  her  shoulder,  roughly,  regardless  of  the 
physical  pain  it  was  sure  to  inflict. 

"  Mary,  how  can  I  be  sure  that  you  won't  j  ump  in 
after  me  ?  You  act  so  queerly.  I  don't  understand  you. 
For  Heaven's  sake,  go  back!  Don't  do  anything  like 
that.  I  can't  bear  it  —  I  can't  bear  the  thought  of  you 
down  there  in  the  water,  under  the  hulls,  covered  with  — 
Ah !  "  He  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hand. 

She  listened  for  a  tense  moment  to  the  labored  breath 
ing  of  the  man.  He  had  thought  of  her  at  last !  An 
odd,  mysterious  smile  flickered  on  her  lips.  With  a 
sudden  convulsive  movement  she  drew  the  long  shaker 
cloak  closer  about  her  shoulders. 

"  Tom,  there  is  a  little  park  over  there,  with  benches. 
Let  us  sit  down  for  a  moment." 

"You  won't  do  it,  Mary,  will  you?"  he  pleaded, 
now  completely  in  the  grip  of  that  terrible  dread. 

"  I  am  not  as  brave  as  you  are,  Tom,"  she  said. 
He  caught  a  new,  vibrant  note  in  her  voice.  He 
misconstrued  it. 

"  I  call  it  pretty  brave  to  be  able  to  go  down  and 
see  a  man  jump  into  the  river.  Not  many  men  could 
do  it,  let  alone  women.  It 's  like  seeing  a  man  kung." 

She  led  him,  unresisting,  to  a  bench  in  the  corner  of 
the  dark  little  triangle  that  was  called  a  "  square." 


398  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

People  were  passing  by,  but  no  one  had  stopped  there 
to  rest,  or  to  reflect,  or  to  make  love.  They  had  the 
green  little  park  all  to  themselves. 

"  Christine  was  married  to-night,"  she  said  after 
they  had  been  seated  for  a  few  minutes. 

He  remarked  lifelessly :  "  Hurried  it  up  on  my  ac 
count,  eh?  It 's  bad  luck  to  postpone  a  wedding,  even 
for  a  death  in  the  family.  Well,  I  'm  glad.  She  's 
sure  to  be  happy,  God  bless  her ! " 

"  Yes,  she  will  be  very  happy." 

"  I  suppose  she  —  and  you,  too  —  had  a  notion  that 
I  'd  turn  up  some  day  to  spoil  the  whole  business.  So 
you  got  it  over  with,  eh?  " 

"  I  wanted  everything  to  be  settled,  that 's  all." 

He  was  silent  for  a  while,  breathing  heavily. 

"  Did  she  ask  about  me?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  You  told  her  I  was  going  away  —  that  I  'd  prob 
ably  never  see  her  again  ?  " 

"  I  told  her  you  were  gone." 

"  I  suppose  she  was  relieved." 

"  She  cried  because  you  were  not  there  to  see  her 
married." 

He  was  fully  half  a  minute  in  grasping  the  full 
meaning  of  that  wonderful  sentence. 

"  Did  she  ? "  he  asked,  lifting  his  head  suddenly. 
"Honest,  Mary?  You're  not  saying  it  just  to  —  to 
make  me  feel  —  " 

He  stopped  and  waited  for  her  to  reply  to  his 
unuttered  question.  She  shook  her  head. 

"  Then  she  does  care  a  little  for  me.  She  has  n't 
lost  all  the  feeling  she  used  to  have  —  " 

"  She  cried  because  she  was  not  given  a  chance  to 
talk  with  you.  She  thought  she  could  comfort  you? 
could  help  you.  That  was  why  she  cried,  Tom." 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE" 

He  allowed,  his  chin  to  rest  in  his  hands,  his  elbows 
on  his  knees. 

"  I  wonder  if  I  could  have  —  Oh,  say,  there  's  no 
use  talking,"  he  ended  bitterly. 

"  What  were  you  about  to  say,  Tom?  " 

"Nothing."  " 

"  Yes,  you  were.     Tell  me." 

"  Oh,"  he  cried,  with  all  the  bitterness  of  a  lostr 
hungry  soul,  "  if  I  had  only  known !  She  could  have 
comforted  me.  What  a  fool  I  was  not  to  see  her. 
I  've  been  cursing  myself  all  day.  Now  I  know  why  I 
cursed.  It  was  because  I  wanted  to  see  her  —  "  He 
struck  himself  a  violent  blow  on  the  mouth,  as  if  that 
were  all  that  was  needed  to  crush  the  great  longing 
that  was  in  his  breast. 

"  Yes.     Go  on,  Tom,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  I  can't,  Mary.  I  can't  talk  about  it.  I  guess  I  'd 
better  say  good-by  now.  I  '11  lose  my  nerve  if  I  get 
to  thinking  and  talking.  I  don't  want  to  think  that  I 
might  still  get  some  happiness  out  of  life  if  —  if  I 
went  after  it  right." 

She  put  her  cold  hand  on  his  big,  clenched  fist.  He 
looked  at  her.  The  faint  light  from  a  near-by  lamp 
post  struck  his  face.  It  was  heavy,  leaden  with  de 
spair  and  misery. 

"  Almost  the  last  thing  she  said  to  me  before  she 
went  away  was  this,  Tom :  '  Some  day  I  shall  go  to 
him.  He  needs  some  one  to  love  him.  I  am  sure  he  is 
not  so  wicked  as  —  '  She  got  no  farther  than  that.  I 
stopped  her." 

"  She  said  all  —  Mary,  why  did  you  stop  her  ? 
Why  didn't  you  want  her  to  say  it?  Why  did  you 
begrudge  me  a  little  thing  like  that?  "  He  was  tremb 
ling  violently.  There  was  misery,  not  anger  or  resent 
ment  in  his  voice. 


400  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Tom,  are  you  ready  to  go  to  the  river?  " 

He  shrank  away  from  her,  shuddering,  appalled. 

"  It 's  hard  to  die,  after  all.  I  —  I  ought  not  to 
have  let  you  tell  me  all  this.  It 's  made  it  harder. 
I  never  thought  of  it  before.  Somehow,  Mary,  I  —  I 
think  I  might  have  turned  out  a  better  man  if  —  if 
I  'd  known  just  how  Christine  felt."  He  got  to  his 
feet  suddenly.  "  I  said  I  'd  do  it.  You  want  me  to 
doit.  Well,  I  will!" 

She  clung  to  his  hand.  He  turned  upon  her  with 
an  oath  on  his  lips.  The  light  now  struck  her  face. 
What  he  saw  there  caused  him  to  catch  his  breath 
and  to  choke  back  the  imprecation. 

"  I  am  convinced  that  you  would  do  it,  Tom,  for  her 
sake  and  mine.  You  would  do  it,  not  because  you  are 
weak,  but  because  you  are  strong.  I  am  satisfied  now." 

"  Satisfied?  "  he  murmured,  wonder-struck. 

She  arose.  "  Tom,  I  am  not  going  to  say  that  I 
love  you.  You  cannot  expect  that.  There  is  a  feeling 
within  me,  however,  that  may  develop  into  something 
like  the  old  love  I  once  had  for  you,  if  you  give  it  the 
right  kind  of  encouragement  —  and  care." 

"What  are  you  saying  to  me,  Mary?"  he  cried 
hoarsely. 

"  You  would  have  given  up  your  life  so  that  Christine 
might  be  happy.  I  am  willing  to  do  as  much,  Tom, 
toward  the  same  end.  I  will  give  up  the  life  I  am 
leading.  You  want  another  chance,  Tom.  Well,  you 
shall  have  it.  I  will  go  where  you  go,  live  where  you 
live." 

"  Mary !  "  he  gasped. 

"  Christine  said  you  needed  help.  Well,  I  will  try 
to  give  it  to  you.  You  have  her  love.  You  did  n't 
quite  kill  that,  as  you  did  mine."  She  took  his  limp 
hand  in  hers  and  looked  up  into  his  eyes.  "  Perhaps,  if 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    401 

both  of  us  try  hard,  you  and  I  together,  Tom,  we 
may  be  able  to  make  her  forget  the  ugliest  part  of 
her  life." 

"  Together?     I  don't  understand." 

"  I  am  still  your  wife,"  she  said,  a  shrill  note  creeping 
into  her  voice  despite  the  effort  she  made  to  be  calm. 

"  You  —  you  mean  I  won't  have  to  go  —  to  go  to 
the  river? "  he  cried,  unable  to  think  beyond  that 
awful  alternative. 

"  I  never  meant  you  to  do  that." 

He  suddenly  took  a  long,  deep  breath  and  lifted  his 
face,  to  stare  about  as  if  trying  to  convince  himself 
that  he  was  really  there,  alive  and  awake. 

"  I  guess  I  don't  quite  get  your  meaning,  Mary,"  he 
muttered,  but  his  fingers  were  beginning  to  tighten 
on  hers.  "  Of  course,  I  understand  you  are  still  my 
wife,  and —  You  don't  mean  you  —  you  are  going 
to  take  me  back !  " 

"  No.     I  am  asking  you  to  take  me  back." 

He  could  not  speak  for  a  full  minute  or  more. 

"  You  '11  give  me  another  chance?  That 's  what 
you  mean  —  that 's  what  you  're  really  saying,  is  n't 
it?  "  He  was  fairly  gasping  out  the  words. 

"  Yes,  Tom." 

"Oh!"  He  turned  and  flung  himself  on  the 
bench,  bursting  into  tears.  "  I  don't  deserve  it  — 
I  don't  deserve  it !  It 's  too  much  to  hope  for." 
These  and  other  sentences  fell  in  broken  disorder  from 
his  lips. 

She  did  not  speak,  but  sat  down  beside  him,  laying 
her  hand  on  his  shoulder.  After  a  time,  he  grew 
quieter,  —  then  almost  deathly  still.  She  shook  him 
gently. 

"  Will  you  come  home  with  me  now,  Tom?  "  she  asked. 
She  too  had  been  crying  softly. 

26 


402  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

He  looked  up.  They  were  so  close  together  that 
she  could  detect  the  humble,  wistful  look  in  his  face. 
His  lips  moved,  but  the  words  did  not  come  at 
once. 

"Home  with  you?" 

"  Yes.     We  have  our  plans  to  discuss,  Tom." 

"  To  your  father's  house?  "  he  persisted. 

"  Yes.  He  understands.  I  talked  it  all  over  with 
him  this  afternoon.  It  was  hard  to  do,  Tom,  —  it  was 
very  hard  to  hurt  that  poor  old  man  all  over  again. 
But  I  had  it  to  do,  and  he  understands.  He  asked  me 
to  bring  you  back  with  me.  I  told  him  I  would.  He 
wants  to  talk  with  you  in  the  morning." 

"  Mary,"  he  began,  fingering  his  hat  in  the  extrem 
ity  of  an  emotion  that  almost  benumbed  him,  "  I  don't 
know  whether  you  want  to  hear  me  say  it,  but  I  've 
never  stopped  caring  for  you.  It  is  n't  all  Christine 
with  me.  I  just  want  to  tell  you  that." 

"  I  understand,  Tom,"  she  said,  still  more  gently. 

"  I  can't  take  any  help  from  your  father,"  he  man 
aged  to  say  after  another  long  period  of  silence. 

"  He  will  offer  nothing  but  his  hand  and  his  well- 
wishes." 

"  This  is  all  so  unexpected.  I  'm  trying  to  get  too 
many  things  through  my  head  at  once.  Let  me  think 
for  a  minute  or  two." 

She  was  silent,  looking  off  into  the  gloomy  little 
street  below.  A  man  was  whistling  gayly  near  by. 
From  afar  came  the  sound  of  rumbling  street  cars. 
She  had  not  noticed  these  or  any  other  sounds  before. 
A  policeman  came  up  to  the  corner,  stopped  and  looked 
at  the  huddled  twain  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then 
moved  off.  The  sight  of  that  uniform  created  a  sudden 
chill  in  her  heart. 

Tom  Braddock  began  speaking  again,  in  low,  steady 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    403 

tones  in  which  there  was  not  only  a  sort  of  bitter  de 
termination  but  something  like  defiance. 

"  What 's  more,  Mary,  I  won't  accept  anything  from 
you.  Whatever  you  've  got,  put  it  aside  for  Christine 
or  against  the  time  when  you  may  need  it  yourself. 
I  'm  not  going  to  live  off  you.  I  'm  not  what  I  was 
back  in  those  rotten  days.  I  believe  I  'm  going  to  be 
happy  again  —  I  think  life  's  going  to  be  sweet  to  me 
after  all.  Half  an  hour  ago  I  had  but  a  few  minutes 
to  live,  as  I  believed.  I  don't  know  just  how  to  take 
this  new  grip  on  life.  Maybe  I  '11  be  able  some  time  to 
tell  you  all  that  I  can't  say  now.  I  'm  all  befuddled. 
The  main  point  is :  I  'm  going  to  have  a  chance  to  be 
a  man  again,  a  real  man;  to  be  your  husband  and  to 
make  Christine  forget  she  was  ashamed  of  me.  That 's 
it.  That 's  what  I  'm  trying  to  say.  So,  you  see,  I 
can't  afford  to  be  ashamed  of  myself.  Do  you  get 
what  I  mean  ?  " 

"  You  would  be  ashamed  of  yourself  if  you  accepted 
money  or  help  from  me?  Is  that  it?  " 

"  Yes.  I  can  work,  Mary.  I  can  support  you,  if 
you  '11  come  with  me.  I  know  where  to  go.  But  you  'd 
better  think  it  over  carefully.  I  can  go  alone,  Mary 
dear,  —  I  can  go  alone,  if  you  feel  you  can't  stand 
being  with  me." 

She  hesitated,  weighing1  her  words.  "  I  have  a  plan, 
Tom,  that  I  want  to  talk  over  with  you.  I  '11  tell  you 
about  it  when  we  get  home.  I  want  to  know  what  you 
think  of  it.  Perhaps  you  will  consider  it  a  good  one. 
It  occurred  to  me  this  afternoon  while  I  was  making 
preparations  to  leave  the  city  with  you  to-morrow." 

"  You  —  you  had  it  all  thought  out  before  you  —  " 

"  I  had  it  all  thought  out.  In  fact,  Tom,  I  have 
the  railroad  tickets  at  home  -in  my  desk,  —  two  tickets, 
one  way." 


404  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  You  are  the  most  wonderful  woman  in  all  this 
world,  Mary,  I  'd  die  for  you  a  thousand  times,"  he 
cried.  It  was  almost  a  sob. 

She  smiled.  "  I  would  n't  allow  you  to  do  it  even 
once  for  me.  Come!  We  will  go  back  the  way  we 
came,  only  we  will  go  in  by  the  front  door." 

As  they  turned  onto  the  sidewalk  he  cast  a  swift, 
involuntary  glance,  as  of  terror,  in  the  direction  of 
North  River.  She  distinctly  heard  the  quick  intake 
of  his  breath  and  the  involuntary  chatter  of  his 
teeth. 

"  You  will  sleep  in  a  good,  clean  bed  to-night,"  she 
said,  reading  his  thoughts. 

He  reached  forth  and  touched  her  arm,  timidly  at 
first,  as  if  he  were  afraid  that  ever  so  slight  a  sign  of 
affection  would  be  repulsed.  Finding  that  she  drd 
not  shrink  or  draw  away,  he  ventured  to  draw  her  arm 
through  his.  His  figure  was  still  bent,  but  the  slouch 
ing,  furtive  movement  was  gone.  Mechanically  she  fell 
into  his  stride  and  they  moved  swiftly  up  the  street. 
A  clock  in  a  house  across  the  way  banged  out  the  hour. 
Far  away,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Broadway,  a  raucous- 
voiced  newsboy  was  crying  his  "  extra."  They  knew 
that  he  was  shouting: 

"  All  about  the  murder ! "  in  that  unintelligible 
jargon  of  the  night. 

"  We  will  get  it  all  in  the  morning  papers,"  she  said. 

"  I  hope  they  don't  try  to  connect  me  with  it  — 
Mary,  I  'm  afraid  of  that !  You  5d  better  let  me  get  out 
of  town  to-night." 

She  shook  her  head. 

He  walked  with  his  eyes  set  straight  ahead,  trying 
to  understand,  trying  to  get  control  of  his  new  emo 
tions.  Always  there  was  the  sharp,  ugly  little  notion 
that  she  still  despised  him,  that  she  was  sacrificing 


IN    THE    TRIANGULAR    "SQUARE"    405 

herself  that  he  might  be  drawn  as  far  away  as  possible 
from  the  child  she  was  so  anxious  to  shield. 

"  I  'm  going  to  try  my  best  to  make  you  care  for 
me  again,"  he  said,  a  vast  hunger  for  sympathy  and 
love  taking  possession  of  him. 

"  I  hope  you  may,  Tom,"  she  said  drearily. 

"  You  're  doing  this  for  Christine,"  he  said  resent 
fully.  "  Just  to  get  me  away,  so  's  I  can't  trouble  her. 
That 's  it,  is  n't  it?  Tell  the  truth,  Mary." 

"  I  would  not  expect  you  to  do  anything  for  her 
sake  if  I  were  not  willing  to  do  a  great  deal  myself," 
was  her  enigmatic  rejoinder. 

"  Don't  hate  me,  Mary,"  he  burst  out. 

She  pressed  his  arm.  "  I  am  giving  you  a  chance," 
she  reminded  him.  There  was  still  a  dreariness  in  her 
voice,  but  he  did  not  detect  it.  He  returned  the  pres 
sure,  half  hopeful  that  the  beginning  already  had  been 
made. 

Brooks  let  them  in.  He  had  been  waiting  up  for 
them. 

"  Mr.  Braddock  will  be  here  over  the  night,  Brooks." 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Braddock."  He  opened  the  door  into  the 
library  for  them,  and  then  silently  hastened  upstairs. 

"  You  must  have  been  pretty  sure  of  yourself,"  com 
mented  Braddock,  in  no  little  wonder.  She  threw  off 
the  shaker  cloak. 

"  There  is  a  cold  supper  for  you  in  the  dining-room, 
Tom  —  and  a  piece  of  a  last-minute  wedding  cake.  You 
must  be  hungry.  While  you  are  eating  we  will  talk 
over  my  plan." 

He  went  about  it  as  if  in  a  dream.  For  an  hour 
they  discussed  her  plan  for  the  future.  In  the  end  he 
fell  in  with  it. 

"  I  'd  be  a  dog  if  I  did  n't  give  in  to  you  in  a  matter 
like  this,"  he  said.  "  You  're  doing  everything  for  me." 


406  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  Our  room  is  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  the  first 
door  to  the  left,  Tom,"  she  said,  rising.  Her  face  was 
very  pale;  she  looked  old.  "  The  bath  adjoins  it.  If 
you  don't  mind  I  '11  stay  downstairs  awhile.  I  have 
many  papers  to  look  over  and  some  letters  to  write." 

He  went  upstairs  to  the  wide,  high  bed-chamber  with 
its  azure  walls.  For  a  long  time  he  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  looking  around  in  dull  amazement  and 
doubt.  Was  it  really  true  that  he  was  there,  in  the  midst 
of  all  this  elegance  and  comfort?  He  glanced  at  his 
big  hands  and  started  with  shame.  They  were  not 
very  clean.  The  soiled  cuffs  of  an  ill-fitting  "  hickory  " 
shirt  came  down  over  his  wrists.  Involuntarily  he 
pushed  them  up.  The  greenish-gray  of  the  coarse  jeans 
garments  he  wore,  clumsy  and  crumpled,  was  sadly  out 
of  harmony  with  the  delicate,  refined  colors  that  sur 
rounded  him.  It  seemed  to  him  all  at  once  that  he 
jarred  on  himself. 

Suddenly  his  gaze  fell  upon  a  neatly  folded  suit  of 
clothes  lying  across  the  foot  of  the  bed.  The  garments 
were  dark  blue,  with  a  thin  stripe  running  through  the 
cloth,  and  they  were  new.  On  the  center  table  there 
was  a  straw  hat.  Shoes  stood  beside  the  chair  at  the 
head  of  the  bed.  An  immaculate  white  shirt  hung  over 
the  back  of  the  chair,  while  on  the  seat  were  under 
garments.  He  rubbed  his  eyes.  Then  he  sat  down  on 
the  chaise  longue  and  stared,  with  growing  compre 
hension.  The  coverlet  on  the  bed  was  neatly  turned 
down ;  a  night-gown  was  there,  clean  and  white.  Beside 
it  was  another,  soft  and  filmy. 

Braddock  put  his  hands  to  his  face  and  sobbed  dry, 
choking  sobs  that  were  not  of  anguish,  but  of 
bewilderment. 

At  last  he  pulled  himself  together  and  arose  to  make 
a  tour  of  the  room.  On  the  dressing-table  there  were 


collars  and  neckties  and  cuffs.  His  own  old-fashioned 
silver  watch  lay  there  before  him,  with  its  heavy  gold 
chain  attached.  He  remembered  with  a  pang  that  he 
had  given  it  to  her  for  preservation  long  ago,  because 
it  had  once  belonged  to  his  grandfather  and  he  was 
sentimental  about  it. 

He  looked  again  at  the  clothes  he  wore,  the  clothes 
the  state  had  placed  on  him  when  he  left  the  penitentiary ; 
he  looked  at  his  soiled  hands ;  in  the  glass  he  caught 
a  glimpse  of  his  haggard,  unshaven  face  and  the  dirt 
streaks  that  the  tears  had  made.  With  a  cry  of 
disgust  he  began  tearing  off  the  hated  garments. 

She  had  done  all  this  for  him!  She  had  known  all 
along  that  he  was  to  come  home  with  her. 

Half  an  hour  later  he  came  from  the  bath,  scrubbed 
until  his  skin  was  red.  He  was  clean !  He  was  shaved ! 
His  hands  were  amazingly  white. 

Like  a  boy,  he  tried  on  the  fresh,  new,  clean-smelling 
clothes.  Even  to  the  shoes  the  fit  in  all  cases  was  per 
fect.  She  remembered  everything  —  the  size  of  his  col 
lars,  the  size  of  his  shoes,  the  length  of  his  sleeves :  the 
measurements  of  Tom  Braddock  as  she  had  known  him 
when  they  were  young  together. 

He  picked  up  the  filmy  night-dress  and  kissed  it  a 
dozen  times.  Then  he  looked  at  the  other  one.  A  grim 
smile  touched  his  lips.  How  long  had  it  been  since  he 
had  slept  in  a  thing  like  that  ?  It  seemed  like  centuries. 

He  sat  down  on  the  side  of  the  bed  and  dropped  his 
chin  to  his  hands,  suddenly  a  prey  to  widely  varying 
thoughts,  desires  and  emotions.  For  many  minutes  he 
drooped  there,  thinking,  wondering,  doubting. 

Over  in  a  corner  stood  a  small  new  leather-bound 
trunk.  He  did  not  ,get  up  to  look  at  it,  or  into  it.  He 
knew  without  looking. 

"  It 's  like  a  fairy  story,"  he  murmured  over  and  over 


408  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

again.  "  I  '11  do  anything  in  the  world  for  her,  as  long 
as  I  live!" 

Suddenly  he  started  up.  He  would  go  down  to  her. 
He  would  renew  his  pledges,  his  promises.  As  he 
opened  the  door  to  pass  out  to  the  stairs  he  heard  her 
moving  in  the  hall  below.  She  tried  the  front  door. 
Then  the  lower  light  went  out.  He  heard  her  mounting 
the  stairs  slowly.  She  was  coming  up  to  him! 

When  she  got  to  a  point  where  she  could  see  the 
streak  of  light  from  the  partially  open  door  she  came 
to  a  stop.  A  slight  shudder  went  over  her  body.  Her 
steps  were  slower  after  that,  dragging,  dejected,  with 
one  or  two  complete  pauses.  Braddock  understood.  He 
had  been  listening  to  that  pitiful  approach  of  the 
woman  who  was  his  wife.  He  could  almost  see  the  ex 
pression  in  her  face. 

A  sudden  wave  of  pity  swept  over  him.  He  gently 
closed  the  door  and  locked  it  on  the  inside. 

She  came  on  and  turned  the  knob,  feebly,  timorously. 

"  Good-night,"  he  called  out  from  the  most  distant 
corner  of  the  room. 

Fully  ten  seconds  passed  before  she  responded.  He 
felt  somehow  that  she  held  her  breath  during  that  time. 

"  Good-night,"  she  cried,  a  vibrant  note  in  her  voice. 
He  heard  her  as  she  went  down  the  hall.  She  was 
running. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE    BLACK    HEADLINES 

CHRISTINE  had  been  mistress  of  Jenison  Hall  for  three 
days  when  the  expected  and  anxiously  looked-for  letter 
came  from  her  mother. 

A  sensation  of  dread,  of  uncertainty,  had  been  pres 
ent  during  those  three  wonderful  days,  lurking  behind 
the  happiness  that  filled  the  foreground  so  completely. 
She  could  not  divest  herself  of  the  vague,  insistent  fear 
that  disaster  hung  over  the  head  of  the  mother  she 
idolized.  David,  supremely  happy,  used  every  device 
that  his  brain  and  a  loving  heart  could  present  to  set 
her  mind  at  rest,  to  drive  away  the  unvoiced  anxiety 
that  revealed  itself  only  in  the  occasional  mirror  of  her 
telltale  eyes. 

When  no  word  came  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day, 
she  timidly  suggested  that  they  run  up  to  New  York 
for  a  short  visit.  He  laughed  at  her  and  playfully 
accused  her  of  being  tired  of  him,  of  being  homesick. 
Nevertheless,  he  was  troubled.  He  had  seen  the  news 
paper  accounts  of  the  murder  of  Colonel  Grand,  and 
he  had  been  horrified,  immeasurably  shocked,  to  find 
that  Dick  Cronk  was  the  self-confessed  assassin. 

There  was  no  mention  of  Braddock's  name  in  the 
dispatches,  yet  he  could  not  banish  the  fear  that  ulti 
mately  the  man  would  be  implicated. 

Dick  Cronk's  story  of  the  crime,  as  presented  by  the 
newspapers,  was  clear  and  unwavering.  He  said  that 
he  had  shot  the  man  in  the  heat  of  a  quarrel  over  money 


410  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

matters.  The  newspapers  professed  to  be  unable  to 
secure  a  statement  of  any  kind  from  the  brother,  Ernest 
Cronk,  who  was  in  jail  as  an  accomplice,  despite  the 
vigorous  protests  of  the  principal  figure  in  the  case. 
The  newspapers  went  into  the  history  of  the  Cronk 
boys,  from  childhood  up,  devoting  considerable  space  to 
the  excellent  reputation  of  the  cripple  and  the  unsavory 
record  of  the  noted  pickpocket.  In  summing  up  the 
case,  there  seemed  to  be  no  question  of  the  innocence 
of  the  cripple,  although  it  was  stated  that  the  district 
attorney  intended  to  put  him  on  trial  for  complicity  in 
the  crime.  The  men,  held  without  bail,  were  to  be  given 
a  hearing  in  the  trial  court  at  an  early  day. 

Letters  from  Joey  Noakes  and  Ruby  to  the  Jenisons 
set  forth  the  details  of  a  visit  to  the  Tombs  on  the  day 
following  the  murder.  Both  were  constrained  to  remark 
that,  in  the  view  of  Dick's  confession,  it  would  go  very 
hard  with  him ;  they  could  see  no  chance  of  escape  for 
him.  Joey,  however,  urged  David  to  contribute  some 
thing  toward  engaging  the  services  of  a  clever  lawyer 
who  at  least  might  save  him  from  the  gallows.  He 
stated  that  Ernie,  after  stubbornly  maintaining  his  own 
innocence,  refused  to  pay  out  money  for  an  attorney, 
preferring  to  let  the  state  provide  counsel  for  him,  under 
the  law.  There  was  no  mention  of  Braddock  in  either 
letter,  for  obvious  reasons. 

Then  the  letter  came  from  Mary  Braddock.  It  was 
adressed  to  Christine.  The  mother's  heart  cried  out  in 
the  opening  pages.  David,  at  least,  could  read  between 
the  lines.  There  were  the  tenderest  protestations  of 
love  and  the  most  confident  of  prophecies,  uttered  with 
a  buoyancy  of  spirit  that  convinced  and  delighted  the 
girl,  who  had  been  so  hungry  for  reassuring  words. 
A  new  radiance  enveloped  her.  But  he  saw  beyond  the 
wistful,  carefully  considered  sentences.  He  saw  the 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES  411 

shadow  of  Thomas  Braddock  at  the  elbow  of  the  woman 
as  she  wrote. 

Near  the  bottom  of  the  second  page  she  abruptly 
took  up  the  subject  which  was,  after  all,  uppermost  in 
the  minds  of  these  anxious  young  people. 

"  Your  father,"  she  began,  "  has  changed  his  mind 
about  going  to  the  mines  in  the  Southwest.  I  saw  him 
after  that  dreadful  thing  had  happened  at  Broadso's. 
He  was  afraid  I  might  think  he  had  a  hand  in  it,  so  he 
came  at  once  to  reassure  me.  Of  course,  he  was  not 
implicated  in  any  way.  It  will  please  you,  Christine,  to 
know  that  my  father  had  a  long  talk  with  him  on  the 
day  following  the  murder,  and  that  he  was  more  than 
merely  impressed  by  the  change  in  him.  He  firmly  be 
lieves  that  your  father  means  to  lead  an  honorable,  up 
right  life.  I,  too,  believe  that  he  can  work  out  his  own 
redemption.  Perhaps  David  will  bear  me  out  in  this. 
He  saw  him,  and  he  noted  the  wonderful  change.  Time, 
however,  will  tell.  I  ought  not  to  be  too  rash  with  my 
prophecies. 

"  He  loves  you.  He  wants  to  reclaim  your  love  and 
respect.  That  is  all  he  has  to  live  for,  I  firmly  believe. 
For  this  reason,  if  for  no  other,  I  am  confident  he  will 
make  a  brave,  a  wonderful  effort.  What  he  needs  most 
of  all  is  encouragement,  sympathy,  the  promise  of  ulti 
mate  reward.  If  he  realizes  that  the  time  may  yet  come 
when  he  can  stand  before  you  without  shame  on  his  own 
part,  and  be  received  without  shame  on  your  part  and 
David's,  I  am  sure  it  will  mean  everything  to  him  in 
the  struggle  he  is  to  make  in  the  next  three  or  four 
years. 

"  He  is  now  on  his  way  to  your  grandfather's  ranch 
in  Montana,  of  which  he  will  assume  the  management 
next  fall.  The  present  manager  is  most  unsatisfactory 
to  my  father.  He  recognizes  Tom's  great  ability  in 


412  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

handling  men ;  his  training  in  the  school  of  hardship 
and  adversity  has  given  him  all  the  requisites  necessary 
to  the  conducting  of  a  large  ranch.  You  remember 
the  name  of  the  post-office  where  the  mail  for  the  ranch 
is  always  sent.  I  implore  you  to  write  to  him  often. 
It  will  mean  so  much  to  him,  and,  in  the  end,  so  much  to 
you  and  yours.  He  insists  that  you  are  to  make  no 
effort  to  see  him.  You  can  well  understand  how  he  feels 
about  it.  Let  him  come  to  you  in  his  own  good  time. 
That  is  best,  I  am  sure.  I  strongly  advise  you  to  re 
spect  his  wishes  in  this  connection. 

"  As  for  my  own  plans,  I  am  going  to  the  ranch  with 
him.  He  needs  me." 

That  was  all  she  had  to  say  of  herself  or  her  plans. 

In  the  next  sentence  she  spoke  of  Dick  Cronk : 

"  I  suppose  you  have  read  of  that  unhappy  boy's 
arrest.  Joey  is  trying  to  raise  means  with  which  to 
employ  capable  counsel  for  him.  I  have  sent  him  a 
check  for  a  thousand  dollars,  with  the  understanding 
that  my  name  is  not  to  be  mentioned  as  a  donor.  Your 
father  says  he  cannot  conceive  of  Dick  committing  a 
murder.  Nor  can  I.  I  have  a  strange  feeling  that  he 
did  not  do  it,  but,  of  course,  that  is  silly  in  the  face  of 
all  that  has  come  out.  I  am  sorry  for  Dick.  If  David 
can  find  it  convenient  to  befriend  him  in  any  way,  I  am 
sure  he  will  not  hesitate  to  help  that  poor,  unfortunate 
boy  who  once  did  him  an  unusual  service. 

"  We  are  leaving  at  5.30  for  Chicago.  .  .  ." 

The  weeks  passed  rapidly  for  the  blissful  young  Jen- 
isons.  The  letters  from  the  far  West  were  full  of  prom 
ise.  Even  the  skeptical  David  was  compelled  to  admit 
to  himself  that  the  silver  lining  was  discernible  against 
the  black  cloud  that  Mary  Braddock  had  so  deliberately 
set  herself  under. 


With  his  fair  young  wife  he  journeyed  to  New  York 
toward  the  end  of  their  first  month  of  married  life.  It 
had  not  required  the  advice  or  suggestion  of  others  to 
rouse  in  him  a  sense  of  duty.  He  owed  more  to  Dick 
Cronk  than  he  could  have  hoped  to  repay  under  the  most 
favorable  of  circumstances:  now  it  seemed  utterly  im 
possible  to  lift  the  obligation.  His  first  act  was  to  send 
a  large  checjc  to  Joey  Noakes.  This  was  followed  by 
numerous  encouraging  letters  to  Dick  Cronk,  in  each 
of  which  he  openly  pledged  himself  to  do  all  in  his  power 
to  help  him  in  his  great  trouble. 

Dick's  replies  were  characteristic.  They  were  full 
of  quaint,  sarcastic  references  to  his  plight,  glib  com 
ments  on  the  close  proximity  of  the  scaffold,  and  bitter 
lamentations  over  the  detention  of  his  brother  Ernie, 
whose  misery  and  unhappiness  seemed  to  weigh  more 
heavily  with  him  than  his  own  dire  predicament. 

On  his  arrival  in  town  David  went  at  once  to  the  office 
of  the  great  criminal  lawyer  who  had  been  engaged  to 
defend  the  Cronks.  There  he  was  met  by  Joey  Noakes, 
Casey  (no  longer  a  contortionist  but  the  owner  of  a 
well-established  plumbing  business  descended  from  his 
father)  and  young  Ben  Thompson,  the  newspaper  man 
who  was  soon  to  become  Ruby's  husband.  The  man  of 
law  was  brutally  frank  in  his  discussion  of  the  case.  He 
had  gone  into  it  very  thoroughly  with  the  two  prisoners. 
In  his  mind  there  was  no  doubt  as  to  the  outcome  of  the 
trial.  The  men  had  elected  to  be  tried  j  ointly.  Richard 
Cronk  did  not  have  the  ghost  of  a  hope  to  escape  the 
extreme  penalty;  Ernest  would  be  discharged.  There 
did  not  seem  to  be  the  remotest  chance  of  saving  Dick 
from  the  gallows. 

The  testimony  of  the  two  prisoners  would  have  but 
little  weight  with  a  jury,  and  there  were  no  extenuating 
circumstances  behind  which  he  could  go  in  support  of 


414 

his  plea  for  leniency.  The  prisoners  had  revealed  to 
him  their  motive  in  visiting  Broadso's  place,  going  quite 
fully  into  the  details  of  the  interview  which  ended  in  the 
shooting.  David's  surprise  and  horror  on  learning 
these  hitherto  unmentioned  facts  can  well  be  imagined. 

"  Personally,"  said  the  lawyer,  "  I  am  inclined  to  the 
opinion  that  Dick  Cronk  tells  the  truth  when  he  says 
Grand  drew  a  revolver  on  him  and  that  he  shot  in  self- 
defense.  If  we  can  make  the  jury  see  it  in  that  light 
there  may  be  some  chance  for  him.  That  is  the  defense 
I  shall  offer,  in  any  event.  The  state,  however,  is  in  a 
position  to  make  light  of  the  plea,  and  with  tremendous 
effect.  It  is  just  as  plausible  a  theory  that  Grand  him 
self  drew  in  self-defense.  The  fact  that  Cronk  fired  and 
Grand  did  not  will  go  far  toward  substantiating  that 
theory  in  the  minds  of  intelligent  jurors.  It  is  not  at 
all  likely  that  Grand,  who  knew  the  character  of  his  vis 
itors,  could  be  forestalled  in  a  shooting  affair,  especially 
if  he  had  been  the  first  to  draw.  Gentlemen,  I  shall  do 
my  best,  but  I  must  say  to  you  that  it  is  a  hopeless 
fight.  Young  Cronk  is  perfectly  indifferent  as  to  his 
own  fate.  He  seems  only  anxious  to  have  his  brother 
acquitted  of  complicity  in  the  actual  crime.  Ernie 
Cronk  says  that  he  saw  a  revolver  in  Grand's  hand,  but, 
you  see,  he  is  so  vitally  interested  that  it  is  doubtful 
if  his  testimony  will  be  credited.  It  is  very  black  for 
Dick  Cronk.  You  may  as  well  understand  the  situation. 
We  have  one  chance  in  a  thousand  of  getting  him  off 
with  a  life  sentence,  one  in  a  million  of  securing  an 
acquittal." 

The  next  day  David  and  Joey  went  to  the  Tombs  to 
see  the  two  men.  Dick  came  down  to  the  visitor's  cage, 
but  Ernie  stubbornly  refused  to  see  the  callers. 

"  He  's  in  a  terrible  way,  David,"  said  Dick,  in  ex 
planation  of  his  brother's  attitude  toward  them.  "  You 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES  415 

see,  I  'm  an  old  hand  at  the  business,  and  I  advised  him 
to  talk  with  no  one  except  the  lawyer.  It 's  bad  policy, 
gabbing  with  everybody  that  comes  along.  Keep  a 
close  tongue  in  your  head,  that 's  my  motto.  Ernie  's 
followin'  my  advice  right  up  to  the  limit.  He 's  so 
cussed  stingy  with  his  conversation  that  he  won't  talk 
to  himself.  I  don't  believe  he  has  said  fifty  words  out 
loud  in  the  past  two  weeks.  It 's  getting  to  be  quite  a 
joke  among  the  other  guys  in  here.  I  never  knew  any 
one  to  be  so  careful  as  he  is.  But,  as  I  said  before,  he  's 
in  a  bad  way.  It 's  telling  on  him,  poor  kid.  He  can't 
see  anything  but  the  rope  for  both  of  us.  And  then, 
Davy,  my  boy,  he  's  got  a  particular  reason  for  not 
seeing  you.  I  guess  you  know  what  it  is.  He  's  a  ter 
rible  proud  feller,  Ernie  is.  Not  a  bit  like  me  in  that 
respect.  Now  I  'm  willing  to  thank  you  for  putting  up 
the  coin  for  us,  and  all  that,  and  I  do  thank  you ;  but 
Ernie  —  well,  he  's  a  curious  kid.  He  can't  bear  to  — 
well,  you  understand." 

"  Dick,"  began  David  as  soon  as  the  complacent 
rogue  gave  him  the  opportunity  to  break  in,  "  I  want 
you  to  tell  Joey  and  me  just  how  it  happened.  We  are 
your  best  friends  —  " 

The  prisoner  held  up  his  hand,  palm  outward,  shak 
ing  his  head  slowly  as  he  spoke.  "  I  'd  be  a  poor  ex 
ample  for  Ernie  if  I  blabbed  after  tellin'  him  to  keep  his 
trap  shut.  Excuse  me,  Davy.  My  lawyer  is  the  only 
one  I  talk  to  about  the  case.  As  he  's  your  lawyer  j  ust 
as  much  as  he  is  mine,  and  more  so,  I  guess,  I  don't 
mind  if  you  chat  with  him.  He  can  tell  you  all  he  wants 
to.  But  not  me.  Nix,  kid.  Not  even  to  you  and  old 
Joey  here,  the  greatest  close-mouth  in  the  business. 
Why,  I  saw  Joey  last  winter  in  that  pantomime  out 
West,  and  he  never  said  a  word  from  the  time  the  cur 
tain  went  up  till  it  went  down.  Talk  about  your  tight- 


416  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

lipped  guys !  Say,  he  's  the  king  of  them  all.  He  's 
the  only  actor  I  ever  saw  that  was  n't  kickin'  for  more 
words  to  conquer.  These  gabby  actors  just  give 
me  a  —  " 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Dick,  be  serious !  "  cried  David 
impatiently.  "  You  must  talk  to  us  openly,  frankly 
about  —  " 

"  I  'm  sorry,  David,"  interrupted  Dick,  his  face 
grave  in  an  instant.  "  I  can't  talk  about  it.  I  'd 
sooner  not.  You  see,  I  've  got  to  consider  Ernie.  He  's 
absolutely  innocent.  If  I  got  to  spoutin'  around,  I 
might  say  something  that  could  be  twisted  so  's  it  would 
hurt  him.  So,  if  you  don't  mind,  I  '11  talk  about  the 
weather.  How  is  it  down  in  old  Virginia?  How  's  old 
Jeff?  And  how  is  the  cook-lady  at  Jenison  Hall?  Say, 
I  wish  you  'd  mention  me  to  her.  I  'm  the  ghost  that 
took  her  pies  and  cold  chicken,  you  remember." 

It  was  useless  for  them  to  continue.  He  smilingly 
but  stubbornly  refused  to  be  moved  by  their  eloquence. 
To  all  of  their  subtly-worded  entreaties  he  gave  but  the 
one,  oft-repeated  response: 

"  I  guess  you  'd  better  discuss  that  with'  Mr.  Prull, 
the  lawyer." 

They  gave  it  up,  but  not  until  the  time  allotted  to 
them  as  visitors  was  nearly  over. 

"  Mr.  Prull  has  all  the  facts.  Let  him  do  the  worry 
ing,"  quoth  Dick,  the  philosopher.  "  Ernie  will  get  off, 
dead  sure.  As  for  yours  truly,  I  made  my  bed,  so  I 
guess  I  '11  have  to  sleep  in  it.  Joey,  I  '11  have  the  laugh 
on  you.  You  always  said  I  was  a  crazy  freak  when  I 
told  you  where  I  was  going  to  end.  Just  you  remem 
ber  that,  will  you,  when  you  read  about  me  doing  the 
groundless  dance  one  of  these  fine  days.  My  old  man 
did  it  before  me.  He  was  seventeen  minutes  strangling, 
they  say.  Almost  a  record-breaking  performance.  To 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES  417 

tell  you  the  truth,  Joey,  I  'd  be  downright  disappointed 
if  I  should  happen  to  cash  in  natural-like.  It  would  be 
an  awful  jolt  to  my  faith  in  Fate." 

"  For  the  love  of  'eaven,  Dick,  don't  go  on  like  that," 
groaned  Joey.  A  cold  perspiration  was  standing  on 
his  forehead.  "  You  ought  to  'ave  some  regard  for 
my  feelings." 

Dick  laughed  merrily.  "  There  you  go !  Always 
thinkin'  of  yourself.  I  've  always  heard  that  English 
men  have  n't  got  any  feelings." 

"  Well,  they  'ave,"  was  Joey's  retort. 

"  Say,  David,  what 's  the  latest  news  from  Brad?  " 
He  listened  with  great  interest  to  David's  brief  recital. 
"  Good  for  Brad !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  always  said  he  'd 
come  out  clean  if  he  had  a  chance.  I  say,  Mrs.  Brad  's 
a  brick.  She  '11  bring  him  around,  see  if  she  don't.  He 
ain't  a  natural  crook,  Brad  ain't.  He 's  got  a  con 
science  and  he  can't  get  away  from  that.  No  man  's 
a  real  crook  who  has  a  conscience.  I  've  got  my  own 
definition  of  the  word  '  conscience ' :  a  mental  funeral 
with  only  one  mourner.  Say,  kid,  I  guess  I  saved 
your  father-in-law's  neck  when  I  plugged  old 
Grand  —  " 

"  Dick,  don't  breathe  that,  I  implore  you,"  cried 
David.  "  He  had  promised  Mrs.  Braddock  that  he  'd 
go  away.  It  can  do  no  good  to  drag  him  into  all 
this." 

"  Well,"  said  Dick  reflectively,  "  I  guess  you  'd  better 
ask  Mr.  Prull  about  that.  He  knows  all  the  facts." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Dick.  I  'm  sorry  I  spoke  so 
quickly." 

"  It 's  all  right,  kid.  No  harm  done.  Don't  worry. 
There  won't  be  anything  said  about  Brad's  original 
intentions.  I  hope  Christine  —  J  should  sav  Mrs.  Jeni- 
son  —  is  well.  I  know  she  must  be  happy." 

27 


418  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  She  is  both,  Dick.  She  is  very  deeply  interested 
in  your  case." 

"  I  hope  you  won't  let  her  send  me  roses  and  sweet 
violets,  kid.  That 's  an  awful  gag  they  're  workin' 
now.  There 's  a  fellow  down  the  line  here  that  cut 
his  wife's  head  nearly  off  in  two  places  —  on  both  sides 
of  the  neck  —  and  he  's  getting  pink  roses  and  lilies 
of  the  valley  by  the  cab-load." 

"  Christine  is  sending  books  and  fruit,  and  three 
times  a  week  you  are  to  have  a  dinner  fit  for  a  —  " 

The  sudden  fierce  glare  in  the  prisoner's  eyes  caused 
David  to  stop  in  amazement. 

"  Look  here,"  demanded  Dick  savagely,  "  ain't  poor 
Ernie  to  have  any  o'  these  things?  Is  he  to  set  by  and 
see  me  eat  —  what  ?  " 

"  You  are  to  be  treated  alike,  of  course,"  cried  David 
quickly.  Dick's  face  cleared.  He  looked  down  in  evi 
dent  embarrassment. 

"  Excuse  me,  kid.  I  —  I  always  get  riled  when  I 
think  of  him  getting  the  worst  of  anything.  I  'm  sure 
we  '11  both  be  terrible  grateful  to  Chris  —  to  Mrs.  Jeni- 
son.  She  's  an  angel,  —  as  of  course  you  know,  kid. 
Sending  me  books,  eh?  Tell  her  I  like  Dickens,  will 
you?  And,  say,  there's  one  book  she  needn't  go  to 
the  trouble  of  sendin'  me." 

"  You  mean  the  —  the  Bible?  " 

«  yes." 

"  Dick,  you  don't  really  mean  that.     You  —  " 

"  I  've  already  got  one,"  said  the  prisoner  simply. 
His  eyes  fell  with  curious  inconsistency.  They  saw 
his  chin  and  lower  lip  quiver  ever  so  slightly.  He 
scraped  the  floor  with  his  foot  a  time  or  two,  and  his 
fingers  tightened  on  the  bars.  "  It 's  a  little  one  my 
mother  gave  me  when  I  was  a  kid.  I  Vc  always  kept 
it.  Funny  little  old  Bible,  with  print  so  small  you 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES  419 

can't  hardly  read  it,  'specially  that  place  where  all 
them  guys  with  the  jay  names  were  being  begot.  They 
seem  to  run  together  a  good  deal  —  I  mean  the  names. 
I  guess  they  must  have  run  together  considerable  them 
selves,  if  accounts  are  true.  Yes,  my  ma  gave  it  to 
me  for  being  a  good  boy  once." 

His  eyes  were  wet  when  he  looked  up  at  David's 
face  again.  His  smile  seemed  more  twisted  than 
usual. 

"  Where  is  it  now,  Dick  ?  "  asked  Jenison,  a  lump 
coming  into  his  throat.  Joey  was  plainly,  almost  offen 
sively  amazed. 

"  Why,  —  why,  Ernie  's  got  it.  He  did  n't  have  any 
thing  else  to  read,  so  he  took  it  a  couple  of  weeks  ago. 
I  —  I  guess  I  '11  ask  him  for  it  some  day  soon.  Oh, 
yes,  there  is  something  I  want  to  speak  to  you  about, 
Joey.  A  couple  o'  years  ago  I  took  out  a  life  insur 
ance  policy  in  favor  of  Ernie,  and  also  an  accident 
policy.  I  couldn't  keep  up  the  accident  one,  but  the 
other  's  paid  up  to  next  January.  Maybe  I  won't  have 
to  pay  on  it  again.  It 's  for  five  thousand.  I  want  you 
to  see  that  he  gets  the  money  if  —  if  I  —  well,  you 
know.  The  policy  is  in  the  safe  over  at  old  Isaac's 
pawnshop,  —  you  know  the  place.  I  '11  write  and  ask 
him  to  come  down  and  see  me,  and  I  '11  tell  him  to  give 
you  the  paper,  if  you  don't  mind,  Joey." 

"  Sure,  Dick.  I  '11  take  charge  of  it.  You  're  very 
good  to  Ernie,  and  thoughtful,  lad." 

"  Well,  I  guess  I  ought  to  be,"  remarked  Dick 
dryly. 

David  from  the  first  had  been  more  or  less  certain 
that  Dick  was  not  the  one  who  shot  Grand.  He  could 
not  drive  the  ugly  conviction  from  his  mind.  It  occurred 
to  him  at  this  juncture  to  put  his  theory  to  the  test, 
hoping  to  catch  Dick  off  his  guard. 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

"  The  police  are  now  saying  that  you  did  not  do  the 
shooting,  Dick."  He  watched  the  other's  face  narrowly. 

There  was  not  so  much  as  a  flicker  of  alarm. 

"  They  don't  think  the  old  boy  committed  suicide,  do 
they?  "  asked  Dick,  with  a  chuckle  of  scorn  for  the 
obtuseness  of  the  police. 

"  No.  They  're  working  on  some  new  evidence, 
that 's  all." 

"  It 's  grand  to  have  a  reputation  like  mine,"  grinned 
the  amiable  rogue.  "  They  won't  even  believe  me  when 
they  catch  me  red-handed.  Once  a  liar,  always  a  liar. 
That 's  their  idea,  eh  ?  If  I  was  to  turn  around  and  say 
I  did  n't  do  it,  I  suppose  they  'd  believe  me  ?  Well, 
nix !  I  guess  not !  " 

David  and  Joey  left  almost  immediately  after  this, 
promising  to  visit  him  from  time  to  time,  and  to  do 
all  in  their  power  to  aid  Mr.  Prull. 

"  Well,  so  long,"  said  Dick  at  parting.  "  Say, 
Joey,  will  you  remember  me  to  Ruby?  I  wish  her  all 
the  luck  in  the  world." 

The  summer  months  wore  away  and  toward  the 
middle  of  October  the  case  of  the  State  vs.  Cronk  and 
Cronk  came  up.  There  was  little  or  no  public  interest 
in  the  hearing.  Two  sets  of  friends,  rather  small 
circles  very  widely  apart,  were  deeply  interested,  and 
that  was  all.  The  Jenisons  and  their  friends  formed 
one  contingent,  while  the  other  was  made  up  from  that 
shifting,  stealthy  element  of  humanity  known  as  the 
"  under-world,"  —  pickpockets,  cracksmen  and  ne'er- 
do-wells  who  had  been  the  associates  of  Dick  Cronk  in 
one  way  or  another,  off  and  on,  for  years. 

The  plea  of  self-defense  was  ably  presented  by  the 
a  great  lawyer,  but  it  was  shattered  by  the  State  quite 
as  easily  as  he  had  anticipated.  He  made  an  eloquent, 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES  421 

impassioned  appeal  for  clemency.  The  jury  was  out 
not  more  than  an  hour.  Their  verdict  was  an  acquittal 
for  Ernest  Cronk,  a  conviction  for  murder  in  the 
first  degree  against  Richard,  with  the  recommendation 
that  he  be  hanged  by  the  neck  until  dead. 

Following  the  conviction  came  the  application  for  a 
new  trial,  which  was  not  granted.  The  record  in  the 
case  was  so  clear  of  error  and  the  proof  so  conclusive 
that  Mr.  Prull  declined  to  carry  the  matter  to  the  higher 
courts,  realizing  the  hopelessness  of  such  a  proceeding. 
Then  began  the  systematic,  earnest  effort  to  induce  the 
governor  to  commute  the  sentence  to  life  imprisonment. 
He  declined  to  interfere. 

Dick  Cronk  was  doomed. 

At  eleven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  a  bitterly  cold 
Friday  in  January  a  grim,  sullen  group  of  men,  evil- 
faced  fellows  whose  eyes  were  heavy  with  dread,  and 
whose  lips  hung  limp  with  dejection,  crowded  around 
the  stove  in  a  squalid,  ill-smelling  basement  room.  They 
spoke  but  seldom ;  their  voices  were  rarely  raised  above 
the  hoarse  half-whisper  of  anxiety  known  only  to  men 
who  wait  in  patience  for  a  thing  of  horror  to  come  to 
pass,  an  inevitable,  remorseless  thing  from  which  there 
is  no  escape. 

They  shivered  as  they  crouched  close  to  the  red- 
hot  stove,  notwithstanding  the  almost  unbearable  heat 
of  the  foul,  windowless  room  in  which  they  were  gath 
ered.  Their  faces  were  pallid,  their  eyes  bloodshot, 
their  flesh  a-quiver. 

Occasionally  one  or  another  of  them  would  go  to 
the  door  to  listen  for  sounds  in  the  black  passage  be 
yond.  He  would  resume  his  seat  without  a  word  to  his 
fellows,  each  of  whom  looked  up  with  stark,  questioning 
eyes.  Then  they  would  fall  to  staring  at  the  walls 


THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

again,  or  at  the  floor,  their  chins  in  their  hands.  At 
their  feet  lay  the  newspapers,  eagerly  read  and  dis 
carded  by  each  and  every  member  of  this  little  group. 
There  was  a  "  noon  extra,"  fresh  from  a  ten  o'clock 
press.  It  had  been  the  last  to  fall  into  their  hands. 

They  tried  to  smoke,  but  the  water  of  mortal  terror 
filled  their  mouths.  The  smell  of  dead,  dank  tobacco 
pervaded  the  room. 

La  a  far  corner,  huddled  against  the  wall,  there  was 
a  shivering,  silent  figure,  a  Pariah  even  among  these 
under-world  outcasts.  He  sat  apart  from  the  others, 
denied  a  place  in  the  circle,  despised  and  abhorred  by 
the  men  he  once  had  scorned  because  they  were  the 
devil-may-care  companions  and  emulators  of  his  brother. 
His  beady  black  eyes  never  shifted  from  the  low,  pad 
locked  door  in  the  opposite  end  of  the  room.  He,  too, 
was  waiting  for  the  dread  news  from  the  upper  world. 
His  breathing  was  sharply  audible,  as  of  one  drugged 
by  sleep;  his  body  had  not  moved  an  inch  in  an  hour 
or  more,  so  fierce  was  the  suspense  that  held  him  rigid. 
From  time  to  time  he  swallowed,  although  his  mouth 
was  dry  and  empty ;  there  was  a  rattling  sound  accom 
panying  the  act  that  suggested  the  hoarse  croak  of  a 
frog.  Always  his  gaze  was  on  the  door,  never  waver 
ing,  unblinkng,  fascinated  by  the  horror  that  was 
creeping  down  to  him  as  surely  as  the  sun  crept  up  to 
the  apex  of  the  day. 

Noon  !  Twelve  o'clock,  midday !  The  hour  they  were 
dreading ! 

One  of  the  shivering  thieves  beside  the  stove  drew 
forth  from  a  ragged  pocket  the  plutocratic  timepiece 
of  a  millionaire  victim.  The  way  his  eyes  narrowed  as 
he  looked  at  its  face  told  the  silent  observers  that  it 
was  twelve  o'clock  and  after.  Unconsciously  every 
figure  stiffened,  every  jaw  was  set,  every  nostril  spread 

V 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES 

with  the  intake  of  air.  Every  mind's  eye  in  that  fear- 
sick  group  leaped  afar  and  drew  a  picture  of  the  thing 
that  was  happening  —  then !  At  that  very  instant 
it  was  happening ! 

"  Oh !  "  groaned  some  one,  half  aloud. 

"  It 's  after  twelve,"  muttered  another  thickly. 

"  The  jig  's  up  wid  Dick,  kids.  Blacky  ought  to  be 
here  wid  de  extry.  Wot 's  a  keepin'  him?"  said  the 
first  speaker,  glaring  over  his  shoulder  in  the  direction 
of  the  door. 

"  Twelve  sharp,  that 's  wot  it  says,"  shuddered  a 
small,  pinched  thief.  "  He  's  a-swingin'  now." 

Suddenly  a  wild,  appalling  shriek  arose  from  the 
corner  behind  them.  As  one  man,  they  whirled.  Their 
gaze  fell  upon  the  cringing  figure  over  there,  now 
groveling  on  the  floor  in  the  agony  of  a  terror  that 
severed  all  the  restraining  bonds  that  had  held  his 
tongue  so  long. 

They  shrank  back  as  their  minds  began  to  grasp 
the  words  he  was  shrieking  in  his  madness. 

He  was  sobbing  out  the  thing  that  each  man  there 
had  suspected  from  the  first ! 

For  many  minutes  they  listened  to  his  ravings,  stupe 
fied,  aghast.  Then  a  stealthy  glance  swept  round  the 
circle  as  if  inspired  by  one  central  intelligence.  It  crept 
out  of  the  corners  of  rattish  eyes,  reading  as  it  ran 
the  sinister  circle,  and  hurried  back  to  its  intense, 
malevolent  business  of  transfixing  the  quarry  in  the 
corner. 

A  hand  reached  down  and  grasped  the  leg  of  a  short, 
heavy  stooL  Another  went  lower  and  clutched  a  long, 
murderous  bar  of  iron  that  served  as  a  poker.  Savage 
eyes  went  in  quest  of  deadly  things,  and  purposeful 
hands  obeyed  the  common  impulse. 

Then  they  advanced.   .  .  . 


424  THE    ROSE    IN    THE    RING 

Later,  the  stealthy,  shivering  group  stole  forth  from 
the  room  and  down  the  black  hallway  that  led  to  the 
street.  The  last  man  out  cast  a  terrified  glance  at  the 
still,  shapeless  object  in  the  corner  as  he  closed  the 
door  behind  him  and  fled  after  his  fellows.  When  they 
came  from  the  passage  into  the  full  light  of  day,  each 
skulker  looked  at  his  hands  and  found  that  they  shook 
as  if  with  a  mighty  ague. 

Even  as  they  blinked  their  eyes  in  the  glaring  sun 
light,  an  excited  young  man  came  rushing  toward  them 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  They  paused 
irresolute.  The  newcomer  was  white,  excited  —  yes, 
jubilant.  In  his  hand  he  carried  a  newspaper,  the 
heavy  black  headlines  standing  out  in  bold  relief. 

"  He  's  got  a  reprieve !  "  he  was  shouting  eagerly. 
"  Look  'ere !  See  wot  it  says." 

Fascinated,  they  slunk  back  into  the  dark  passage, 
to  listen  in  stupefaction  while  the  joyous  Blacky  re 
peated  the  astounding  news  from  the  prison. 

"  Mr.  Jenison  and  his  wife  done  it,'*  cried  Blacky,  his 
eyes  gleaming.  "  It  says  so  here.  They  went  to  the 
gov'nor  this  morning  and  put  it  up  to  him  in  a  way  that 
made  him  grant  a  reprieve  for  thirty  days,  so  's  Mr. 
Jenison  can  get  the  real  facts  before  him.  That  means 
a  pardon  sure,  kids.  Say,  Jenison  's  all  right !  He  's 
the  kind  of  a  friend  to  have,  he  is.  He  never  quit  on 
Dick.  Say,  where 's  Ernie?  We'd  better  put  him 
wise." 

"It  won't  make  any  difference  to  Ernie  now,"  said 
one  of  the  rogues,  wiping  his  wet  brow  with  his  hand. 

Blacky  fell  away  with  a  great  look  of  dread  in  his 
eyes.  He  understood. 

"  We  'd  better  duck  out  o'  this,"  he  muttered 
vaguely.  "  It  says  here  that  the  cops  are  going  to 
question  Ernie.  They  're  out  huntin'  for  him  by  this 
time,  kids." 


THE    BLACK    HEADLINES  425 

"  They  know  he  was  here  wid  us,  and  they  '11  find 
him  sure,"  cried  one  shifty-eyed  fellow.  "  Me  to  the 
woods." 

"  Hold  on,  Spike,"  interposed  another  grimly.  "  We 
got  to  stand  together  on  this.  We  got  to  stick  by 
Dick,  now  he  has  a  chance.  We  got  to  stay  here  and 
tell  'em  what  Ernie  said  to  us  in  there.  It 's  the  only 
way.  We  '11  do  time  for  it,  but  what 's  the  dif  ?  Dick 
was  doin'  more  for  Ernie.  We  're  sure  to  get  off  light, 
when  it  all  comes  out." 

They  drew  back  into  the  passage  and  waited  for  the 
police  to  come. 

An  hour  went  by,  and  not  one  faltered.  There 
came  at  last  to  their  ears  the  sound  of  heavy  footsteps 
on  the  narrow  stairway.  Spike  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and 
said  to  his  comrades : 

"  We  've  seen  the  last  of  Dick,  kids.  This  Mr.  Jeni- 
son  will  take  care  of  him  from  now  on.  He  '11  have  a 
good  chance  to  be  honest,  lucky  dog,  just  as  he's 
always  wanted  to  be." 

The  fellow  with  the  plutocratic  watch  took  it  from  his 
pocket  and  gazed  at  it  with  the  eyes  of  one  who  is 
contemplating  a  great  sacrifice. 

"  Jenison  's  all  right,  God  bless  him.  I  'm  going  to 
see  that  he  gets  his  watch  back,  too.  I  was  a  dog  to 
have  pinched  it  in  the  first  place." 


THE    END 


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